been sustained only by love of country and a desire of promoting her best interests. General Taylor's letters are improper and disrespectful. I have relieved him from command until the pleasure of Your Excellency can be known. General Taylor has spoken publicly of me in an improper way. I am credibly informed he has read his letters inclosed to citizens and others. The public interest required that one of us should be relieved. I shall attempt no refutation of General Taylor's statements. They are untrue throughout, and will generally be proved to be so by the simple narrative of events which I have forwarded Your Excellency. I will willingly, with no feeling of envy or abatement of interest in the service of my country, turn over my arduous duties and responsibilities to a successor.

Respectfully and faithfully, your obedient servant,

E. KIRBY SMITH,

General.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.] HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST LOUISIANA, In the Field, April 28, 1864

General E. KIRBY SMITH,

Commanding Trans-Mississippi Department:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 22nd instant. After having placed Walker's division in a useless position, 70 miles from an enemy, and kept it idle for fifteen days after two days of victorious fighting, you use this as a reason for removing it from my command without previously knowing my situation and necessities, and contrary to the promise you made me at Shreveport. I dismissed the idea that Steele should move on Shreveport-Steele, who has already retreated over 100 miles and been completely foiled in his plans by General Price with his raw cavalry; or, if such a purpose could be rationally entertained, why not suppose that Banks would advance again from Alexandria? Can he not receive re-enforcements as well as Steele? The remainder of Banks' beaten army will now number double Steele's original strength, and he is accompanied by a fleet numbering more guns than any but a first-class naval power could put afloat. I can not conceive what "political and military points of view" are to be obtained for the Confederacy by abandoning the certain destruction of an army of 30,000 men, backed by a huge fleet, to chase after a force of 10,000 in full retreat with over 100 miles the start. To accomplish this, to me, inscrutable purpose, I was prevented from following up my victories, allured to Shreveport by compliments on my readiness to serve under General Price, and there unexpectedly deprived of the bulk of my army. Since then not a day has passed without some portion of my small force being taken from me; not with my consent, but without even the usual official courtesy of sending the order through my hands. To-day brings news that you have ordered two batteries from me-batteries which are of priceless value to my plans. Two companies of cavalry, also, are taken. Since I left Shreveport and joined my little force near Natchitoches not an hour has passed unmarked by some good blow struck for the cause. Yet I am stripped hourly of troops. When I stated to you that I should fight a battle for Louisiana and your department no efforts were made to re-enforce me. The commands of Churchill and Par-