the time specified will be subject to assignment as conscripts to any regiment in the district. The companies will be organized as infantry. Such companies as present themselves armed with good double-barreled shotguns and mounted will be received as cavalry. A liberal system of details for agricultural and mechanical purposes will be devised in accordance with the law. Bona-fide details made for the State authorities will be recognized at the rate agreed on with Colonel E. B. Nichols, agent of the State, 1 detailed men for every 40 bales of cotton, the detailed man in all cases to accompany the cotton.

Your Excellency having proposed through Colonel Culberson, adjutant and inspector general, to drop the conscript element between eighteen and forty-five from the State troops upon a certain contingency, I would respectfully urge now that this element be required to enter the old organizations. That portion comprising planters exempt under the new conscript act will be exempted on meeting the requirements of the law. The number of men involved is not great (the entire number actually in the field of this class is probably less than 1,000), but the principle involved underlies our military fabric, and a departure from it involves the worst of consequences. The army, already much demoralized by desertions and the insidious efforts of demagogues and traitors, look with jealousy and discontent already upon the favored class of conscripts who have thus far been permitted to remain in the State troops.

I appeal to Your Excellency to second my efforts to bring content and a spirit of patriotic determination into the ranks, which this act of justice to the common soldier who has spent three years in the service will produce. The few months which these men would remain in the reserve corps (should Your Excellency co-operate in my views) would not compensate them for a loss of the privileges now extended to them. The term of service for a loss of the privileges now extended to them. The term of service for the State troops would terminate on the 20th August, which would allow these men but four and a half months to remain in the State troops when they would be assigned. It is far better for them to volunteer now. I therefore propose that the conscript element in the State troops between eighteen and forty-five (except those exempt) be allowed thirty days to volunteer in any organized regiment in the State except the reserve corps. Those who do not so volunteer will be declared subject to conscription at the expiration of that time. Should Your Excellency decline to agree to this course respecting the men between eighteen and forty-five, which I trust will not be the case, I propose the following, remarking that, although not sanctioned by my judgment, I am willing to yield this much principle to save the State troops being overrun by the enemy: That the conscript element between eighteen and forty-five actually present in camp on the 10th day of April be permitted to remain in the reserve corps until the 20th August, when they will be assigned to old regiments in accordance with the agreement made between yourself and Lieutenant-General Smith.

The above programme is presented to Your Excellency to meet the necessity of the case, rendered more apparent from the failure of the State troops to respond to the call of Your Excellency. I believe it will be not only the means of bringing a large army at once into the field, but will be highly popular with the masses of the people and will be received with especial satisfaction by the State troops now in the field.