directly from the camps. I think General Throckmorton has to-day under him not less than 800 men. McAdoo has that number or more, so men from the camp say. Griffith writes that he will in a few days have 900 effective men after furloughing. General Barners, I know not how many he has, but the men at the time he saw you had not time to make their appearance in camp. The want of organization in the brigades by Generals Ford and Conley is accounted for in the fact that they have paid no attention to the orders sent them. The men, from my information, are going into camp cheerfully where the officers have done their duty, and all that has been accomplished notwithstanding the confusion and uncertainty produced by the recent conscript act and your known opposition to the State organization for the last fifteen or twenty days. I deemed it just to the State troops and to their officers to make these statements.

You have not an officer under you who has worked with more zeal and more success in any department than some of the State brigadier-generals have done in their efforts to bring this force together. Brigadier-General Throcksmorton feels that the salvation of his section of the State depends greatly upon this body of men. They (the brigadier-generals) are all men of purpose; they labor; they are ready, willing to do their duty. I can but repeat my grave apprehensions that the course pursued by you since the appearance of the recent conscript act in reference to the State troops and the State laws is not the best for the country, nor best calculated to meet the emergency overhanging the State and department. Co-operation with me under the State laws would have placed at your disposal by this time at least 3,000 or 4,000 men; the State laws would have been respected; here authority respected; more strength secured; the conscript act, or the execution of it, merely suspended for a time until the Legislature could meet and adjust and conform its military regulations to those of Congress. This would have been earnestly recommended by me to them as the best policy for the country.

The forces then in the field, at the bidding of the State, would have been transferred to Confederate service, the State relinquishing her claim to them. This course would have been consistent with what is done under our Government to both State and confederacy. There would then have been no appearance of violence, dictation, arbitrariness; no appearance of advantage being taken of circumstances, threatened dangers to force the State into an unpleasant attitude. I am clearly of the opinion that this was the legitimate and proper way to relieve the country from the operation of two laws emanating from different legislative tribunals, operating upon the same class of men and in the same locality, and for the accomplishment of the same end.

That both laws cannot be in operation at once time without producing confusion and even weakness is very certain. Influenced by the dangers threatening the State, by the fact that confusion is being produced by the use that is being made of the conscript act, by a desire to avoid even the appearance of a want of harmony between the State and Confederate authorities in this hour of peril, and already the belief that the Legislature which is soon to meet would, if now in session, relinquish the troops of the State, or rather State authority over them, I take the responsibility of announcing that I will urge upon the troops to organize under the laws of Congress, and as nearly as practicable in the manner suggested by you.