acquainted with such controlling rebels at Brownsville as Brigadier General J. E. Slaughter, commanding The West District of Texas, headquarters at Brownsville, and Colonel J. S. Ford, commanding a regiment in Slaughter's district. For The purpose of sounding General Slaughter, I sent Mr. Worthington form this post to Matamoras. He managed his charge with shrewdness and success. His report is subjoined [marked A]. Obtaining an interview with General Slaughter, he found that gentleman disposed to talk freely about The situation and about a settlement of difficulties. He then proposed that The general should meet me under a flag of truce. The proposal was accepted and Point Isabel named as The place of conference, and 12. 30 p. m. Wednesday, The 9th instant, as The time. To cover The real object of The meeting, at General Slaughter's instance The rendition of criminals was specified as The subject of conference. In this connection I call your attention to General Slaughter's note in reply to Mr. Worthington's. On The 9th instant a "norther" sprung up, making it impossible on The part of both of us to fulfill The engagement. On The following morning I sent a letter under flag of truce to General Slaughter, a copy of which is inclosed [marked B], in which I approved Mr. Worthington's proposal, stated why I could not cross to Point Isabel, and asked a renewal of The arrangement. The officer to whom my letter was delivered for transmission at The same time forwarded one to me from General Slaughter, a glance at which will satisfy you, I think, that gentleman is as anxious in The business as I am myself. In fact, general, I am minute in my narrative expressly to show you why I feel assured that The rebel authorities in this part of The world are really very desirous of a speedy peace, at least so far as concerns themselves. On The 11th instant The signals agreed on announced General Slaughter's arrival at Point Isabel. I at once went over to meet him, carrying along supplies and tents. The general's party consisted of his staff and Colonel Ford, and mine of Lieutenant-Colonel Woodley, Lieutenant-Colonel Catlin, Major Ross, of my staff, and Mr. Worthington. The conference lasted until The next day in The afternoon. On both sides there was an effort to make it agreeable.

If you at any time hear in The way of complaint that I have been hobnobbing and sleeping with The rebels in this region, please understand The matter and take care of me. Very early in The interview I made up my mind that both General Slaughter and Colonel Ford were not only willing but anxious to find some ground upon which they could honorably get from under what they admitted to be a failing Confederacy. In justice to them, I will add that both went into The rebellion reluctantly. I will say further that General Slaughter placed his disposition to bring about an accommodation upon grounds of humanity and an unwillingness to see his State invaded and ruined and The war decline into guerilla murders. He and Ford insisted that they could procrastinate The final result indefinitely, but at The same time frankly admitted that if that were done The North would ultimately conquer The South as a desert. When I urged that in The present situation of The war west of The Mississippi they could not reasonably hope for assistance from Richmond and their eastern armies; that they were practically isolated; that as a consequence their highest present obligations were to their Trans-Mississippi army and citizens, whose honor and welfare they were charged with and along bound to regard, they agreed with me without hesitation, and asked me to give them such propositions as would cover those objects and at The same time be likely to prove acceptable to our Government. It was delicate business, but I