My reasons for not arresting these men were that I thought I should soon put my regiment in action and need the services of all the officers, and, moreover, I felt very much opposed to having a public exhibition of this motions conduct as long as the general good of the service would not suffer. You can well appreciate the pride I would fain feel in my regiment and the mortification I must feel of the occurrence above.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH PHILLIPS,

Colonel, Commanding Third Regiment.

HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT, Shreveport, La., June 11, 1863.

Major General J. B. MAGRUDER,
Commanding District of Texas, Houston, Tex.:

GENERAL: Your communication of the 29th ultimo, relating to the enforcement of the conscript law in Texas, has been received and laid before the lieutenant-general commanding the department, who instructs me to say Brigadier-General Greer has been appointed commandant of conscripts for the whole department; that he approves of your appointment of Colonel Ford as commandant of conscripts for the District of Texas, and he desires you will give him such aid from the forces under your command as he may require and you may deem necessary for a rigid enforcement of the conscript law, and the orders of the War Department relating thereto; by this means the lieutenant-general thinks the views expressed by you can be fully carried out and at the same time not infringe on the regulations of the War Department on this subject. The general direction in each of the military districts composing the department, for the collecting and thorough drill of the conscripts thereof, preparatory to assigning them to old regiments or forming them into new ones, as may hereafter be determined. It is not his intention to send any conscripts out of the department.

I am, general, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

S. S. ANDERSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI, Shreveport, La., June 11, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your two letters of the 7th of May* and 4th instant,+ which arrived about the same time. By reference to my letters addressed to Brigadier-General Scurry, you will see how our views coincided in regard to the concentration of your disposable troops in Eastern Texas. These letters were written him during your absence at Brownsville. Your kind assurances of your hearty co-operation are most welcome, and the coincidence of our views fortunate. Whether the enemy is successful or unsuccessful in his present attempt to open the navigation of the Mississippi, his effort doubtless will be to engage his men in operations that will remove them

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*See Magruder to Belton, Series, I, Vol. XV, p. 1078.

+Not found.

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