submitted to me, and your suggestions of the necessity of additional forces within your department and of the most feasible means of raising them have been consider. As your own judgment and information will readily suggest to you, it is not deemed judicious to detail forces from our main armies, now in the presence of superior hostile forces threatening early attack, for the purpose of protecting limited localities, for after all their permanent security can best and only be attained by success to our arms on the great central arenas of conflict. We must therefore rely mainly for the defense of such districts as are included in you department on comparatively fe veteran troops, moved about with celerity, and on such local organizations as can be conveniently raised. I am pleased to perceive that you feel confident of your ability, if authorized, to command the latter to an extent adequate to your needs. The only difficulty I perceive in accomplishing your views is presented by that feature of the conscript act which requires the conscripts to be devoted in the first instance to filling up the old organizations. The Department has felt bound to adhere to this provision with rigidity wherever the conscript act is put in operation. But, as you are aware, the President may for adequate reasons suspend the operation of the law when he think the public weak demands. Now this might be done by him in some counties or district of your department recommended by you. Then, under the act for local defense and special service, companies or regiments, with the character and extent of their service limited by the ends declared in their muster rolls, might be formed under your auspices from the whole arms bearing population in such counties or districts. When bereafter the present need for their service with you has passed they could be disbanded and the conscript act resume its operation. If this made of proceeding meet your approbation you had better send on a recommendation for the suspension proposed in certain counties, and at once proceed to induce the formation of such organizations. Of course you wold let it be understood that such organizations were now expected to be permanent, and that those of the ages required for conscripts would hereafter probably be called on under the law. This would prevent any liability to the imputation of bad faith on the part of the Government hereafter, and the limited duration of service expected would probably induce many beyond the prescribed age to unite for the present defense of their own region. As to the amount of force you would require to be raised in this way, I must leave it very much to your own discretion to determinate. My own conviction is that your district is too large to be thoroughly defended by any attainable force, and that a comparatively large body, yet too feeble for full defense, would be more apt to temps than to prevent an invasion and attack by the enemy in force. The utmost you can judiciously attempt will be to deter from pillaging of harassing invasions, and for that end active forces judiciously distributed in small detachments will best avail. I should be pleased, however, to have your views more fully on the subject, and to receive some estimate of the number you deem it judicious to attempt to raise.

With high consideration and esteem, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.