to be insufficient against any army with which the enemy may be expected to undertake such a siege.

I have been summoned to appear before the court of inquiry at Atlanta, and am about to obey the summons.

Most respectfully, yours obedient servant,

J. E. JOHNSTON,

General.

[Indorsement.]

Submitted for information of President Davis.

[S. COOPER.]

Adjutant-General please not the estimate of force, and refer to returns to explain the great reduction of numbers.

J. D. [DAVIS.]

[SEPTEMBER 4, 1863.-For Smith to Taylor, in reference to employment of negro troops by the enemy, see Smith to Price, Series I, Vol. XXII, Part II, p. 990.]

HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,
Shreveport, La., September 4, 1863.

Major General J. B. MAGRUDER,

Commanding District of Texas, Arizona, &c.:

GENERAL: I am directed by Lieutenant General E. Kirby Smith to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 1st instant, with inclosures.* He directs me to say that he inclosed to you on yesterday duplicates of important letters to Mr. Slidell,+ one of which was to be sent by Honorable A. Superviele, and the other by some safe and expeditions channel to Mr. Slidell. He calls your attention to the importance of instructing Honorable A. Superviele of the necessity of having the co-operation of the French to prevent the landing of the enemy at Lavaca and Rio Grande, and the consequences of their success in cutting off our trade, and the serious detriment to French interests from that and other causes if they get possession of Western Texas.

He also desires you to communicate these facts to Honorable Mr. Slidell, and press upon him the importance to France to prevent it. News from Northern Texas not quite so bad as previous reports indicated.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, &c.,

GUY M. BRYAN,

Major, and Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,
No 129.
Shreveport, La., September 4, 1863.

* * * * * *

X. The lieutenant-general commanding the department learns with regret, that a regiment of Texas troops, known for their valor and good conduct, should, in an ill-advised moment, have sullied their reputation by insubordination and abandonment of colors. Their grievances, presented through the proper authorities, would have met with redress.

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*Omitted. It transmitted petitions for exportation of cotton, &c.

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+See inclosure, Smith to Davis, September 5, 1863, Series I, Vol. XXII, Part II, p. 993.