The assumption of responsibility to give value to the certificates of the cotton office would, in my humble judgment, be preferable. Should you apprehend that you may be driven to the necessity of impressment, I beg leave most respectfully to request that the subject be directly presented to the War Department, with a view to some general decision and order by the highest executive authority, and also with a view to further legislation to remove doubts and difficulties on the subject.

In such an event I must also request that impressment shall not be at all connected with the cotton office, but confided to military officers acting under other orders.

The exclusively civil and business foundation and character of the office renders its execution of impressment incompatible with it, and I would be unwilling to undertake them, nor would any of my associates remain connected with the office in that alternative.

I had thought of making you a suggestion in relation to exemptions or details for agricultural purposes under the conscripts law. The necessity for a full supply of provisions and grain is, of course, apparent, but my information and judgment are that a planter, after planting a full supply of corn, wheat, &c., he can cultivate, can still raise cotton. This culture goes on; at different times his grain is laid by and his hands must be idle which could be employed in, say, one-half of one-third of a corp of cotton, without conflicting with the farmer. Unless it be imperative, I think the regulations in this department should not entirely interdict the growth of cotton. But a bond should be exacted from all exempts and entails as far as can be legally done, obliging them to sell a certain portion, say two-thirds, of their cotton to the Government at schedule prices.

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I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. J. HUTCHINS,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Chief of Texas Cotton Office.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT, Numbers 141. Shreveport, La., June 6, 1864.

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XI. Major W. D. Kittle, assistant adjutant-general, C. S. Army, is relieved from duty in the office of the inspector-general Trans-Mississippi Department, and will report forth with to the War Department, Richmond, Va.

By command of General E. Kirby Smith:

S. S. ANDERSON,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS, &C.,

Houston, June 6, 1864.

Brigadier-General BOGGS:

I have the honor to state that Colonel Baird's proposition to operate between Fort Union and Kansas with 100 men has been referred to me, with a statement by General Smith that the arrangements, if