is fully aware of this, and with his means of marine transportation can place an army on the coast and advance into the interior before these troops can return or the reserve corps, my only dependency exclusive of the troops above named, be got out.

Since New Orleans is not to be attacked it would seem an imperative demand of prudence to prepare in season for such a movement. I laid before General Greer a list of old regiments, now mere skeletons, which ought to be filled up. At the head of these is the gallant Second Texas Infantry, not more than 250 men, and I offered to send recruiting officers from the regiments to be filled up, to report to the enrolling officers, to assist them in their duties, and to receive the recruits and take them at once to their regiments when in sufficient numbers. The regiments are the best camps of instruction, but if it be deemed necessary to fulfil the law literally, each enrolling station might be considered a temporary camp of instruction where the conscripts could be drilled as soon as enrolled. I believe it to be a very general custom among enrolling officers to grant furloughs, generally of thirty days, to conscripts to visit their homes as soon as enrolled, and that details of every description are made by them without regard to superior authority. I am informed, and it can be established beyond doubt, that bribery to a large extent is made use of to accomplish these purposes, and that large numbers of persons liable to military duty are daily emigrating to Mexico and strengthening the ranks of our enemy, in some parts of the State quite en exodus. There seems to be no doubt that Judge Hancock is leading with him a good many; others have gone from Austin beyond the borders.

General Greer, chief of conscript bureau, spoke of visiting this part of the country. I hope he will do so without delay, and beg that you will assure him that he may expect from me the most hearty co-operation, correcting and preventing abuse, in exacting in the most rigid manner the provisions of the conscript law. General Smith is aware that I have no control over these subjects, the orders placing the conscript bureau exclusively under the command of the department commander, yet I seem to be held responsible by the public, which is manifestly unjust. I do not complain of this, however, as it would benefit our cause very little to transfer the responsibility to other shoulders. It seems obvious that a further invasion of Louisiana this season is totally out of the westion. I thus, therefore, that the general commanding the department will send the troops asked for to Texas, and as many more as in his judgment he may think necessary, as soon as this letter is received, and I have already ordered a depot of supplies to be established at Niblett's Bluff and on the two roads leading from the Bluff, the one to Alexandria and the other to Vermilionville. I fear the corn which I expected down the same will not arrive, as I have been informed that it had been taken for the use of the prisoners at Tyler; of this I am not certain. This I should extremely regret, as I have been at much pains to have boats built in the Sabine, as well as the Nueces, with the view of bringing down corn at the first rise for the troops of Louisiana as well as Texas. Should the enemy send troops from Banks to the North in large numbers then a concentration can be made on New Orleans in safety.

J. B. MAGRUDER,

Major-General, Commanding.