without embarrassing his movements, and I wish to receive his instructions. She is willing to start without seeing him, however, if necessary, and I feel quite confident of my ability to carry her to a place of safety in or beyond Florida. It is not necessary, therefore, for him to change his plans or to allow them to be influenced on our account. I have made arrangements for sufficient specie funds. Please give my by return courier the information you may have which may be useful to me, and please give me your

counsel.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BURTON N. HARRISON.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF ALA., MISS., AND EAST LA.,
Meridian, Miss., May 2, 1865.

Major General D. H. MAURY,

Commanding, &c., Cuba Station, Ala.:

GENERAL: I have to inform you that I think it not improbable the surrender of General Lee's army and other recent disasters to our cause may ere long bring about such a condition of affairs as will make it my duty to surrender the troops under my command. Indeed, recent events make it due to the soldiers and citizens of this department, whose future welfare depends upon my action, that I shall make every effort to secure an honorable and speedy cessation of hostilities. To enable me to secure this end,and to properly provide for those whose fate is, alike with yours and mine, dependent thereon, officers and soldiers must stand fast to their colors, present as bold a front as possible, and in the last extremity surrender en masse, upon such terms as are never granted to any but an organized national army. By such a course I will be enabled, when the proper time arrives, to secure for all my troops such terms as will insure them transportation and subsistence to their homes and a right to remain thereat unmolested by Federal authorities, protection of the horses belonging to enlisted men, and private arms, baggage, and horses of officers. Unless the troops remain intact and are relieved from service by some general agreement between Confederate and Federal commanders they will be hunted down like beats of prey, their families will be persecuted, and ruin thus entailed not only upon the soldiers themselves, but also upon thousands of defenseless Southern women and children. I hope you will take pains to impress these views upon the officers and men of your command, and to assure them that their safety rests solely upon all of us remaining together in an organized state, faithfully respecting public and private property, and so performing all of our duties as will enable us to certainly secure our private rights, if finally compelled to succumb to overwhelming numbers, and lay down our arms as soldiers of a national cause with the preservation of military honor.

Very respectfully,

R. TAYLOR,

Lieutenant-General.

MERIDIAN, May 2, 1865.

Colonel SPENCE:

Your telegram relative to scouts on Tombigbee has been repeated to Colonel Jones, commanding Post Demopolis, with instructions to telegraph you direct, informing you of the disposition of the scouts on the