convey them around. General Buford reports that the only force of the enemy on the river is at Montgomery Hill, which he has been instructed to dislodge, if possible. If he has not succeeded in doing so a gun-boat must be relied upon to protect the transports. Give necessary orders. General Buford has a line of communication to Claiborne. The lieutenant-general commanding further directs that you will establish communication with him, via that point, and say to him that he will communicate any information through you to these headquarters, Selma being in the hands of the enemy. The boat must not go beyond Oven Bluff until further orders, or unless threatened, as the enemy may raid as far west as Demopolis.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. SURGET,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. EXCHANGE BUREAU, VICKSBURG DISTRICT,
Camp Townsend, April 4, 1865.

Captain W. F. BULLOCK, JR.,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Meridian, Miss.:

CAPTAIN: In addition to my letter of yesterday in relation to the necessity and justice of protecting the planters of this county from the jayhawking which has so recently become so very common and indiscriminate, let me further state that if a company of good men were stationed for this ostensible purpose they could not only suppress jayhawking, but inasmuch as the men could constantly operate closer to Vicksburg than any other body of scouts have done (because of the immunity from capture which would be observed by the enemy), they would be able to prevent a large amount of desertion to the Yankee lines, which I now regret to say is constantly going on, and would be able to drive out from Warren County the hundreds of lawless deserters who now seek a place of safety between our lines and that of the enemy; also they would keep you supplied with the latest papers, &c. I am satisfied such a company on such a service here would save ten times their number to the Confederacy, and at the same time give security to life and property to a people who, amid all the disasters which have overtaken them in this [war] have continued eminently loyal to us. And here let me recommend to you, should the lieutenant-general see fit to detach a company for this service, that the men who are at present assigned to duty with me, and who will be relieved in a short time, are in every way suited to carry out the object proposed. They are discreet, clever, orderly men; they have been on duty here three months (selected specially for the purpose by Brigadier-General Adams, because of his high estimate of them) as scouts and pickets, and in all that time not a single trespass upon citizens can be laid to their charge. The best citizens along the lines testify to their uniform good conduct, and they proved themselves the most reliable set of men ever on duty on this line. The planters desire them in preference to any others, because of their full confidence in them. I have reference to Captain John Wilkinson's company (C), Twenty-fourth Mississippi Battalion of Cavalry. He has eighty effective men, and the citizens of Warren County will cheerfully provide forage and rations for them. Since writing the above the most atrocious outrage, by Yankee negroes, has been perpetrated. The particulars have just reached me. Another reason why the protection asked for should be granted: Last night, about 11 o'clock, the residence of Major Reese Cook, an old and highly respected citizen of this county, was plundered of everything