the great purpose of the Government to maintain the authority and peace of the United States, to afford protection to all its loyal citizens, and to subdue its enemies.

Eighth. It is reported that there are many loyal persons in those portions of North Carolina and Virginia, which border upon your command, who would enlist in the military service of the United States, if afforded the requisite facilities and supplies. One or two officers familiar with that country, who, having been prisoners of war, found refuge there, have tendered their services to engage in that duty. You will direct immediate inquiries into this point, and report to the Department whether it be practicable. If found to be so, authority and regulations for such enlistments will be communicated to you.

Ninth. You will report from time to time to your superior officer, Major-General Thomas, and to this Department the state of your command, and apply for such instructions and aid as occasions may require.

Your obedient servant,

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

LEXINGTON, KY., February 8, 1865. (Received 7 p. m.)

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

In obedience to your dispatch of yesterday, General Orders, Numbers 5, have been revoked. I left Washington, believing, form what passed, that you desired your instructions of last fall carried out and the State corps disbanded. They are worse than useless, with he exception of three companies. Those one on hand have been raised in the last twenty days. Few of them are armed, and all more or less disposed to marauding and plundering; and the inducements held out to enlist in the State service are preventing enlistments in the U. S. service. My action was hastened by the circulation of inflammatory handbills, calling for recruits to operate against guerrillas, and thus depriving the people of their liberty and private rights. I sent you one of those bills and other documents by mail yesterday, and was fearful that very serious consequences would be the result, unless matters remained, as your former orders indicated, until a different course was directed. U. S. troops have been ordered to the points occupied by the State troops have been ordered to the points occupied by the State troops. Please inform the President of the foregoing and my desire to conform my action to meet his and your approbation.

S. G. BURBRIDGE,

Brevet Major-General, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. MILITARY DIST. OF KENTUCKY, Numbers 6.
Lexington, Ky., February 8, 1865.

In compliance with instructions form the War Department, General Orders, Numbers 5, of date February 6, 1865, from these headquarters, are hereby revoked.

By order of Brevet Major-General Burbridge:

J. BATES DICKSON,

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.