march on foot. Colonel Gould will send forward one-fifth of his men to collect the horses of the regiment, it being understood that they will march through the country in which their horses are to be found.

Colonel Gould, in making arrangements to collect the horses, will be cautious to keep his regiment together, as one-fifth of the men are deemed sufficient for that purpose.

The men intrusted with the office of getting the horses together are reminded of the necessity of a prompt return to their colors. Should any of them tarry at their homes whilst collecting the horses, they will be considered as deserted, beyond the amnesty of the President's proclamation, and be treated accordingly.

The commanding officer of the Third Texas Infantry will leave an officer at Harrisburg to receive the arms of the regiment turned over to the ordnance officer at Galveston, and the officer thus left will proceed to Galveston to procure said arms.

The arms issued to Terrell's regiment. Davidson's battalion, or [troops] belonging to other commands, will be turned over to Lieutenant [T. S.] Cook, ordnance officer at Galveston, who will return them to the commanding from which they were taken.

Acting Brigadier-General Debray, whose brigade will consist of Elmore's regiment infantry, Debray's regiment cavalry, Cook's regiment heavy artillery, Captains Moseley and Dashiell's companies of light artillery, and Griffin's battalion, will make such disposition of the troops upon their arrival at Galveston as will conform with the plan of defense as agreed upon in consultation by the commanding general with himself.

All surplus arms belonging to any regiment, battalion, or detached companies will be kept in order and ready to be turned over at any time to such troops as may need them.

The gunboats in the Sabine will be subject to the orders of Acting Brigadier-General Luckett.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By command of J. Bankhead Magruder, major-general commanding:

W. T. CARRINGTON,

Lieutenant, and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION,
Fort Brown, Tex., August 27, 1863.

Captain EDMUND P. TURNER,

Asst. Adjutant-General, Dist. of Texas, &c., Houston, Tex.:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch August 3 [4?], 1863.

In the exercise of that discretion in the discharge of my duties here which was granted to me in repeated letters from the general commanding, I permitted those to whom the Government was intended for supplies furnished to export their cotton. I regret that my course does not meet his approval. I believed that it was but simple justice. Major Hart may say that there was no specified time for payment, yet I know that there was a clear understanding that by the 1st of April the cotton was to commence to arrive here. The middle of July was at hand, and no cotton or bills of lading of cotton had been received by his agent here; there was no prospect then they would get their cotton this season, and I was satisfied that, as I was instructed to shield and foster the public credit, I would not be doing so by taking the cotton of these creditors to pay for supplies furnished by other contractors,