the railroad, you will take charge of them and employ them as you may think most serviceable to the campaign. Captain Roberts will be found in Mississippi getting up a battalion. You will avail of all the information within your reach to ferret out the skulkers, and you will see that such young men as have good social positions and have hitherto evaded service be not spared. Orders upon this point are imperative. You will see that all who are liable to military service under existing laws, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, are enrolled and required to repair under orders, with an accompanying military force, to Jackson, miss., where they will be held until organized and distributed. What has been said to Colonel Lowery is allowed to exercise a sound discretion in the execution of its details. You will nevertheless bear in mind that the country which is the than the most vigorous and decisive measures will serve to impress its inhabitants with a sense of their duties to their Government and to bring it back to a sound and halt huff moral condition. You will keep a list of all captures, and if in the execution of your orders you are resisted by force of arms you will not hesitate to punish the offender with death upon the spot. It is of the utmost importance that this movement should be made without a day's delay. You will therefore proceed to its execution immediately upon the receipt of these orders. You will keep yourself in immediate and constant understood. You will keep me advised of the progress of the movement every day by telegraph, and by written communication more fully every three days. You will keep an accurate account of all arrests you make.

Very respectfully, colonel, your obedient servant,

THOS. M. JACK,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS, Demopolis, Ala. april 25, 1864.

colonel LOWRY:

COLONEL: The lieutenant-general commanding directs me to say that he has received your several reports of your operations with for the prompt, efficient, and vigorous manner in which you have conducted your campaign. The impression made by it has been felt, not only in the army but by the whole department, and must tell most favorably upon the success of our cause. I am instructed by him to say that he desires you to push your operations down Pearl Honey Island and clear it out, driving such men as may have sought refuge there over into Louisiana. You will enter upon a new campaign against all absentees and conscripts found in East Louisiana co-operation of all the cavalry force under the command of Colonel John s. Scott, commanding that district, and the desire of the lieutenant-general is that you make such thorough work in your operations as not to require them to be repeated. The lieutenant-general's orders to Colonel Scott are that he direct Colonel Dumonteil, commanding