to him to be exercised in subordination to yourself. If, however, such supervision is not desired by you, you can be relieved of it and General Pillow required to report directly to the War Department.

You are in error in supposing that instructions have been given that none of the conscripts referred to are to be assigned to your command. The instructions were that all should not be sent to the commands of yourself and General Bragg, but that an equitable proportion, according to the number of regiments from the several States of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, in the Army of Virginia, should also be assigned to that army.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE,

Macon, Miss., October 23, 1863.

General J. E. JOHNSTON,

Commanding Department:

GENERAL: The Governor directs me to say that if he properly understands your proposition through Colonel Harvie, in relation to the mounted men in the State service, which is simply to distribute all the men in the unattached companies and battalions among the companies and regiments immediately under the command of Brigadier-General Chalmers, that he cannot consent to this. The majority of the men organized last spring are mounted on horses impressed for that purpose. These horses belong to the State of Mississippi, and must be kept together in some way. To distribute the men as you desire would in effect place their horses beyond the reach of the State authorities, and a heavy loss would necessarily be the result. The Governor is entirely willing to assemble these unattached commands and consolidate them so as to make the companies up to at least the maximum number required by law, and then turn them over to the Confederate service. If these men are to go into new organizations, His Excellency can see no reason why this proposition should not be acceptable.

Very respectfully,

JAMES H. RIVES.

Colonel and Aide-de-Camp.

[First indorsement.*]

HEADQUARTERS,
Meridian, Miss., November 26, 1863.

General J. E. JOHNSTON,

Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: Under your instructions I called on Governor Pettus, in Macon, on the 22nd October, 1863, and stated that I was there for the purpose of carrying out the arrangement he had made with His Excellency President Davis, in reference to transferring the State organizations to the Confederate service. I further said that it was desirable to assemble all the unattached companies, and suggested some point near General Chalmers' command, stating that it would be necessary to fill up existing organizations to the legal standard before they

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*Letter of Johnston to Rives, October 24, 1863 (see p. 588), was forwarded with the communication bearing this indorsement.

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