fully impressed itself upon me, but the means of effecting it and the necessary co-operation of other forces within this district are beyond my control.

On the 10th of June I was relieved from the command of the District of West Louisiana and ordered by you to Natchitoches to "await the pleasure of the President of the Confederate States."

On the 18th of July, six weeks after I was relieved by you, the order for to cross the river and assume command of the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana was issued from the War Department, evidently under the belief that I was in command of the District of West Louisiana or commanding a corps. Your order directing me to take command of the two infantry divisions reached me at Natchitoches on the 28th of July. From the date of by being relieved until the receipt of those orders I had no means of ascertaining the disposition of all our or the enemy's forces on or near the Mississippi River, the point at which the enemy's gun-boats were lying, and such other necessary facts as would enable me at once to fix upon suitable places for crossing. Although the orders from the War Department contemplated that I was in command, I can perceive nothing therein which instructs that the troops should "cross under my orders," and that "I should conduct the operation of crossing in person." So long as the command is within this department it is subject to your orders, and without dispositions made by you as commanding general I am powerless to effect anything. Simply to cross the men is but a portion of the movement; to subsist and transport them to localities where their presence and services are needed involve the most important features. There is but one railroad in the State of Mississippi is use by our authorities, and that lies east of Pearl River, its western terminus being quite a hundred miles distant from the Mississippi. While Lieutenant-General Lee states that he will establish depots of supplies, such depots can only be available if they are convenient to the points of crossing, and it might happen that those points would be an hundred miles from the supplies, as the movements of the enemy's forces along the river and of the gun-boats would influence the crossing, and places previously selected would be liable to interference by the enemy at the very moment when the movement at a particular point was about to be undertaken, and thus render an immediate change necessary. Co-operation between the two sides of the river is therefore of the highest importance, and a full of supplies at convenient and accessible localities. I had the honor to submit to you several days ago, with an indorsement of my entire approval thereof, the plan of Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas, which I consider the most practicable one which can be adopted. I have not heard from you on the subject.

In accordance with your instructions I furnished you on the 28th of July with the names of the staff officers whom I desired to report to me. Only last night I received your answer asserting that a portion of those named and needed by me should be assigned. I have been without staff officers necessary to enable me to make even the requisite preliminary arrangements, and but for the kindness of Major-General Walker, who has allowed me to use a portion of his staff, I should have been entirely without any such assistance. Major Mason, my former chief commissary, whose services are almost indispensable and upon which I relied, you refuse to allow me. No other commissary is assigned to also, who none could be so useful to me as this officer. Colonel Brent also, who has been on my staff for two years, and for whom I made application, is withheld. Both these officers share my earnest desire to have them ordered to report to me. If the troops are to be used in