Sixth. All men detailed from the State troops, or those enrolled in the present enrollment, employed in any of the departments of the Confederate army, or its authorized agents and contractors, will remain in their present employment. Their names will be entered on the muster-rolls, and the fact of their employment stated in the column of remarks opposite their names.

Seventh. All necessary orders for the subsistence supply and transportation of the troops after the orders of Major-General Magruder will be issued from his headquarters.

I am also instructed by the major-general commanding to say that immediately upon the receipt of your order for the organization of the troops he will issue all necessary orders for their subsistence and transportation. He has determined to mass the troops at Bonham, Rusk, Hempstead, and Gonzales for regimental organization, if Your Excellency determines to adopt the course suggested in this communication. Supplies have already been ordered to be concentrated at these points to meet the emergency.

By command of Major-General Magruder:

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

E. W. CAVE,

Volunteer Aide-de-Camp.

[Inclosure No. 2.] HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF TEXAS, &C., Houston, March 8, 1864.

His Excellency Governor P. MURRAH:

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the orders of Your Excellency respecting the reorganization of the State troops. I would respectfully ask Your Excellency whether the troops are continued in the service and remain under my orders after the reorganization of the companies as indicated in the proclamation of Your Excellency of January 23, 1864.

Having ordered the troops to the original battalion camps for the purpose of reorganization, I have considered them still as under my orders. As the reorganized companies would be composed of men not previously in the C.s. service, I indicated in my orders that they should be concentrated for regimental organization under the orders of the brigadier-general of militia, so that the men over whom I had as yet acquired no control might thus be ordered to the points which I should designate. If I am correct in supposing the troops to be still under my command, I trust Your Excellency will announce the same.

Your Excellency must be aware that the laws of Congress and regulations will not permit the issue of supplies to these troops or the disbursement of money on their account until after they are placed in the Confederate service and under the orders of the Confederate military authorities.

The suggestions made to you in a communication of 21st ultimo were intended to meet this view of the case, and the points at which I desired to concentrate the troops were named. The impossibility of concentrating supplies for any considerable number of troops at any other points led to the selection of these. If, however, it is the intention of the State to sustain the troops until the organization of the regiments, I trust I may be informed of the same. The organization