they are necessarily undisciplined and inefficient, costing twice as much for the service rendered as other troops. Both officers and privates are imbued with the political enmities, jealousies, and hatreds peculiar to their respective localities, so that it is impossible to make them perform their duties with justice and impartiality. These provisional regiments in active service are formed by arbitrary details from the general mass of Enrolled Militia, thus giving just ground for complaints of unfairness, which cannot be alleged against a regular draft. Notwithstanding all these objections to this system, it has been a necessity which could not be dispensed with until the opening of the Mississippi, and preparations for a draft have been measurably completed.

I now propose to the War Department to dispense with the further services of these troops in the following manner, viz: Let a draft be ordered at once in all portions of Missouri in which the preparations are complete, and in others as rapidly as the enrollment shall be made. Let a portion of the Missouri regiments now in the field, and which are most reduced, be sent back to the State to be filled up from this draft, and then used in the State as long as their services shall be required, and the remainder of the drafted men be sent to other regiments in the field. As soon as the old regiments shall arrive and receive the recruits, or even before the recruits are ready for service, the militia can be disbanded. The latter will thus be replaced by troops much less expensive and far more efficient, and which can be sent beyond the State when no longer needed within it. It may be urged that a draft in Missouri will be unfair because of the necessary imperfections of the enrollment. To this I answer it will be much less unfair than the present mode of enforcing the services of the militia.

I respectfully commend this subject to the careful consideration of the War Department, believing it to be one of much importance.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. M. SCHOFIELD,

Major-General.

[Indorsement.]

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, August 21, 1863.

Respectfully referred to the Provost-Marshal-General.

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

AUGUST 24, 1863.

Respectfully submitted to the General-in-Chief for his perusal, as proposing a change in the military affairs in Missouri. The enrollment cannot be made very rapidly in Missouri, but as soon as it is completed I suppose the draft will be made there as elsewhere. I cannot tell when that will be.

JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

MEMPHIS, TENN., April 15, 1863.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief:

I have just heard from Steele and Davidson. A gunboat will push up White River to Jackonport. The river is very full. Steele thinks