MONTGOMERY, ALA., January 28, 1865.

Lieutenant General R. TAYLOR,

Meridian, Miss.:

You can direct 2,000 arms and accouterments from Cheatham's corps to be deposited at Meridian or Demopolis. So order Cheatham. Furlough for Twenty-eighth Alabama approved.

GEO. WM. BRENT,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

MONTGOMERY, ALA., January 28, 1865.

Commanding OFFICER TWENTY-EIGHTH ALABAMA REGIMENT,

Demopolis and Selma, Ala.:

General Beauregard approves furloughs for such of your men as you deem proper, for ten days.

GEO. WM. BRENT,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

MONTGOMERY, ALA., January 28, 1865.

Lieutenant General R. TAYLOR,

Meridian, Miss.:

Enemy moving on Augusta. Hurry up all troops from Tupelo and Meridian by quickest routes.

GEO. WM. BRENT,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

MACON, January 28, 1865.

Lieutenant General R. TAYLOR,

Meridian:

GENERAL: Inclosed I send letter of General Forrest, received yesterday, which when read please return.* I also have received numerous letters from officers of Confederate States (one from Major-General Martin), requesting a call of the militia in their counties to apprehend deserters, stragglers, &c. At request of General Hodge I authorized him to call out the militia in his district a few days since. I think the militia can still be made useful and, if you approve, will call out all in the State for thirty days. In the meantime the Legislature will meet and no doubt will extend the time. I recommend that the men over fifty years be organized at home for service in those counties in sending forward defaulters; and it will be necessary that you should issue the order so that they may receive rations, forage, &c. You will note the remark of General Forrest as to arms, ammunition, &c. I have but about 2,000 stand of arms and not exceeding fifteen rounds to each arm, but have some 100,000 cartridges for caliber .69 and .75 to spare. Can arrangements be made for, say, 3,000 arms, &c., for militia? I think I can get 5,00 men. I wrote you to Tupelo, inclosing copy of letter to General Brandon, as to turning over State troops to Confederate States. If some such arrangement is not made immediately those troops will be lost to the service, for if General B. attempts, as he

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*Inclosure was returned to Clark January 29 (see Taylor to Clark, p. 941), and is not found.

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