security, or to gratify his mean and selfish ambition. Such deserters deserve, and I trust will receive, the extreme penalty of the law. The general has been gratified to hear of the gallant conduct of your officers and men, and feels assured that under your lead they will never bring dishonor upon their flag. He relies upon your known courage and fidelity to maintain the integrity and discipline of your command. Whenever the public service will justify it he will, in justice to the true men of your command who stand by you and your faithful officers, use every effort to have them returned to their own State.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, yours, &c.,

LAMAR COBB,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Memorandum.]

The governor of South Carolina (General Bonham) had ordered his South Carolina State troops back from Georgia, where they had been sent to assist in the defense of Savannah. General Hardee had complied with the order, so that the Georgia State troops, of which Colonel Cumming's command formed a part, thought it but just that they should not be sent across the Savannah River to assist in the defense of South Carolina soil. General Cobb, to whom they appealed, has given his views on that question.

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DISTRICT OF FLORIDA,
Tallahassee, January 2, 1865.

General SAMUEL COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond:

GENERAL: The possession of Savannah by the enemy separates our line of railroad in Florida from the other lines of the Confederacy. Besides the necessity of getting the supplies of sugar, molasses, pork, and beef out of the State, it may be desired hereafter to remove the iron now on these railroads for use in the central parts of the Confederacy. Of this iron there is over 25,000 tons in the State, besides about 18,000 tons on the Live Oak connection and the Savannah and Gulf road, west of the Altamaha River. The shortest and most obvious route for this is by Quincy to the Chattahoochee River, at Appalaga. This would require the construction of a road twenty-two miles in length, over good ground, with easy grade. This was the contemplated continuation of the road from Quincy, and has been surveyed and the levels run. There are nine miles of iron on the Jacksonville road taken up and now at Lake City, and eight miles of iron on the Florida Railroad, extending from Baldwin toward Fernandina. This would leave but five miles to be provided. This could be taken from the road extending from Tallahassee to Saint Mark's, or from the terminus of the Florida Railroad at Cedar Keys.

I forward these facts for the consideration of the War Department. If the objects should be considered sufficient to warrant the labor and expenditure, I will, as commander of the district, use my best energies to forward the work.

Mr. Howard, the Government attorney, is using all his energies to obtain a decision in the case of the Florida Railroad Company, which will probably terminate favorably to the Government.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. MILLER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.