means in driving the enemy out of our own State, the withdrawal of any portion of my small command without notice to me, and thus interfering with my disposition of troops, was unexpected and embarrassing. Without the entire and exclusive control of the forces operating in my district I cannot rely upon dispositions which, made by myself, are interrupted by orders from other authorities, and therefore respectfully ask that the State Guard may not be ordered to report to me again.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. TAYLOR,

Major-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF TEXAS, &C., Numbers 118.
Houston, April 27, 1864.

I. Waul's Legion will proceed by train to-morrow, 28th instant, to Galveston, and report for duty to Brigadier-General Hawes.

II. Captain P. A. Work, with his command, will proceed without delay to camp San Jacinto, Montgomery County, and report to Colonel D. S. Terry for duty.

* * * * * *

By command of Major-General Magruder:

E. P. TURNER,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HOUSTON, TEX., April 27, 1864.

Honorable JOHN SLIDELL,

C. S. Commissioner to France:

I have the honor to inform you that I have just received intelligence, coming from an eye-witness, that at a public procession in the city of Matamoros early in the month, Governor Cortina, of Tamaulipas, Mexico, and the pretended Governor of Texas, John Hamilton, walked arm in arm through the streets of Matamoros, and that on that day ten pieces of artillery were formally and officially presented to Governor Cortina by the Federal authorities of Brownsville, Tex. The Federal authorities are thus wantonly and in the most defiant manner violating the laws of nations by openly furnishing the Mexican troops with arms with which to carry on war against France, whilst they pretend to hold relations of friendship with the latter power. This may not perhaps be a matter of much importance, but I have thought it right to communicate it to you in order that, if you think proper, the information may be laid before the French authorities.

J. B. MAGRUDER,

Major-General, C. S. Army, Commanding District, &c.

HDQRS. SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI AND EAST LOUISIANA,
Near Clinton, La., April 28, 1864.

Lieutenant General L. POLK,

Commanding Alabama, Miss., and E. La., Demopolis, Ala.:

GENERAL: I arrived here on Saturday last, 23rd instant, and finding Colonel Taylor absent since the Tuesday previous, with a small escort and a portion of his staff, in the direction of Mandeville, on