I would like for you to inform me if there is any possibility of my obtaining them in Bonham upon requisition or otherwise. I would further suggest that there are about 200 men from east of the Mississippi River, deserters, who have reported to me. These I have ordered to assemble in camp on the 25th, in Lamar County. This is additional reason why I should have cooking utensils, tents, &c. I shall hold these men to their obligation to report until such time as they assemble, when, of course, they will be subject to your orders.

There are many members of the militia or State troops come to me, wishing to connect themselves with my regiment. These men are subject to be enrolled as conscripts, being under forty-five years of age. It seems to me that it would be better for them to be in the Provisional Army for the war than in the militia for six months; General Greer seems to think likewise? What are your orders in regard to it?

I am perfectly willing to co-operate with you and adopt your ideas as my own, and more so especially as I am satisfied that I will have to call upon you for troops to carry out the policy of the lieutenant and major generals commanding.

I have the honor, general, to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

N. C. GOULD,

Colonel, &c.

[Inclosure Numbers 2.]

HEADQUARTERS NORTHERN SUB-DISTRICT,
Bonham, Tex., October 16, 1863.

Colonel N. C. GOULD, Commanding, &c.:

COLONEL: I am instructed by the brigadier-general commanding to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 12th instant, and to say, as you do not "consider that I was ordered to report to you, or that I was under your command," that he must thank for the courtesy shown him by sending your orders to him, that he might see what you were doing in a district over which he had been assigned the command, and within which he had been led to believe he had the right to command all troops not in transitu under order from his superior officers. He feels obliged to you also for being willing to notice and respect his views respecting the course to be pursued toward deserters, and your kind offer of co-operation, and hopes, that those under whom you are acting will not find fault in the end for having done so, and that you may be mutually benefited by free consultation and interchange of views. He directs me to invite you to come up, if your duties will permit, at such time as will suit your convenience. He is gratified at the success with which your efforts have been crowned so far, in collecting deserters, and, in order that you may be enabled to continue to be successful to the greatest imaginable extent, he withdraws, revokes, and rescinds every word that he was written that is calculated to restrict you, so that you "only will be responsible" if you should be so unfortunate as not to realize your fondest hopes of success. He thanks you for agreeing to order all the "officers and men in your district to report to you," and regrets that you see any objection to ordering them to report to any "inferior officer" that circumstances might render it necessary to assign to the command of them under his orders.

As he finds that he will need all the forces in his district to enable him to enforce discipline and maintain order, he requests you not to order the company he ordered to report to you out of the district, if it is possible for you to get along without doing so, as it belongs to General