they should be removed, ether by the reports of boards or your recommendation that they be dropped under the late; or, if disabled, they should be retired, with their rank and pay, on the invalid list. It is, I am aware, painful, as well as ungracious, sometimes to employ these means of relieving the Army, but while they exist the President is firm in not allowing the Army to be encumbered with supernumeraries.

I have heard with regret that you have been not infrequently embarrassed by not possessing full copies of our Confederate laws. I have directed such to be sent you as far as they can be commanded, there being some difficulty in procuring those of the Provisional Congress, and as soon as a full edition of all one volume, which has been ordered, is completed, as I am informed it soon will be, several copies will be sent you. You will have likewise to obtain, as almost any lawyer's liberary in Arkansas or Texas furnish, copy of the Statutes of the Federal Government up to the section of the Confederate States, an act of the Confederate Provisional Congress makes such laws, as far, as far as applicable, operative among us. Your gravers difficulties, however, I apprehend have been from the want of funds and arms. On both points I have been provident to provide as far as the resources of this Department have allowed; but, partly from its limited control and partly from a concurrence of unfavorable casualties, I have not found my exertions avail much. From the fall of Vicksburg I have steadily urged not only that funds should be set over, but have even risked as does not appropriately belong to this Department,s ending them by its own officers, and binds, [sic] as the only permanent remedy, a provision for issuing currency in the Trans-Mississippi Department. That has been at various times contemplated by the honorable Secretary of the Treasury, but has not yet, I fear, been effectively accomplished. I have however, sanguine hopes that its necessity will not allow it to be much longer. delayed. Mean time, the only portion recourse existing is to make such use as may be practicable of outstanding Treasury notes, and to strengthen your credit and means of supply from abroad by exportation of cotton. In relation to such exportation, it will be necessary you conform to the law and regulations of the President thereon, of which I have directed copies to be sent you. They ought to afford very efficient aid in sending out cotton commanding supplies. The contract for the latter made by the quartermasters in your department are complained of by our agents abroad as excessive in compensation,a nd it is recommended that hereafter they be made subject to the approval of Mr. McRae, who has been specially charged with this sort of supervision abroad.

In relation to arms, you are aware of the accidents and impediments encountered. I am pleased to be informed now that a great many are being sent out from Havana direct to Texas, and I have made arrangements to send steadily, as opportunities offer, across the Mississippi, suplies. Your present command of the river, if it can be continued, will enable me to do this with great facility and security. On every account this command is most important. If you could use it to pass over to this side horses, mules, cattle, and wool, the greatest service next to that of sending men would be rendered. In commanding these articles you may have great difficulty from want of funds, but this might be measurably supplies by encouraging of funds, but this might be measurably supplied by encouraging all private parties and contractors to send them forward, when

43 R R-VOL XXXIV, PT IV