WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,

Richmond, Va., January 5, 1862.

JOHN MILTON,

Governor of Florida, Tallahassee, Fla.:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of the 26th ultimo, with its inclosures, and am extremely gratified to percaive that the defenses of Apalachicola are in so satisfactory condition.*

In relation to your suggestion that the expense of the defense there would be less, and the defense more ceratain, "if the Confederate Government would become definitely rosponsible for its defense by State authority," I need scarcely say that such an arrangement could only be made by the sanction of Congress. If such sanction be obtained by the Florida delegation it would relieve this Department of a portion of the responsibility for public defense, a burden almost beyond the mental or physical endurance of any single individual.

I am not sure that I understand Your Excellency's remark about the difficulty of associating the State troops and those of the Confederacy under one command and the impossibility of transferring the State troops at Apalachicola to the Confederate service without breaking up their organization. From the letter of General Floyd, inclosed in yours, it appears that his force is about 800 men, and I can scarcely think of an organiztion applicable to such a number of men that it would be necessary to break up in order to effect a transfer. If, however, you will be good enough to inform me what the organization now is under the State law, I will try to devise some means of effecting the transfer withtout materially, if at all, interfering with the present organization. I will be happy to accept into the Confederate service the regiment that you are organizing for twelve months, to be armed by the State; ' yet I cannot but deplore the policy of such short enlistments, proven by all experience to be the most expensive and least efficient of troops for any service. If tnon now at Saint Andrew's Bay, or any can be procured for that point, I will also accept a company of artillery as proposed by you.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. P. BENJAMIN.

Secretary of War.

[6.]

RICHMOND, January 11, 1862.

Honorable SECRETARY OF WAR:

DEAR SIR: The papers inclosed have been received by me from Governor Milton, of Florida, with a request that they might be submitted to the President and yourself.+

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

J. WAYLES BAKER.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF ALABAMA AND WEST FLORIDA,
Near Pensacola, Fla., December 4, 1861.

His Excellency JOHN MILTON,

Governor State of Florida:

SIR: Your letter of the 22nd ultimo has been received. I regret exceedingly that I have no guns of any kind to spare. All that could

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*See VOL. VI, pp. 354-356.

+See foot-note Milton to Benjamin, of January 3, p. 206.

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