shall be held, and very justly, unless specially released therefrom by authority of the War Department. General Lee, in compliance with an application from me, has made a requisition upon Governor Milton of two more regiments for the defense of Middle Florida. These regiments I am now endeavoring to organize.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. H. TRAPIER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[6.]

BANK OF COLUMBUS,

Columbus, Ga., February 22, 1862.

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War:

DEAR SIR: The recent gun-boat exploits of the enemy have aroused us to the possibilities of a raid up the Chattahoochee, to which we are convinced that our defenses at Apalachicola would offer no effectual resistance, and our people are devising some means of defense, such as selecting a suitable point on the river and with ston-loaded boxes prepared to sink at once and in such places as would prove perfect obstructions to navigation and would be capable of defense. With this in view and acting of our city as also the towns and country below, with whom we are so closely connected, we have applied to Governor Shorter, of Alabama, and have been authorized to act for that State as we may. judge bnest from aur own familiarity with the country and from the best guidance we can hae from competent engineeers or others. We have also sent to Governor Brown for like authority and await his reply; upon receipt of which to-morrow one of us will go to see Governor Milton, of Florida, and we write to you now hoping it may seem proper to you that some such measures be immediately adopted, and pergaps you might see fit to detail some officer to select a suitalbe point and see the guns placed there. Our main intent is, however, to utter a conviction, shared with us by the various communities on the river and by all the citizens of Apalachicola tthemselves, so far as we have conversed with them, that Apalachicola cannot be defended with the means and men now there, and the attempt can only result in the loss to the Confederacy of both, while a point up the river could be held with less force of troops and guns and leave some to be used elsewhere. There is nothing at Apalachicola to be contended for but the place itself, while a barrier against entrance to the country on the river can be placed some miles above. The first forty miles are a continual morass and there is nothing to invite a raid even for some distance farther, but there are large amounts of cotton at some landings on the river. There were 8,000 bales in one lot, which failed to find shipping to England last spring and were moved to up river landings; besides this there are perhaps $4,000,000 worth of baled cotton at other landings between Apalachicola and this place and at this place, which facts are known to men who can pilot up the rive. All parties are ready to make vigorous efforts to place this property, as well as this avenue into our country, out of the enemy's reach, if some competent director were here to plan and supervise, aided by the intimate knowledge of the localities which can be furnished here. We have no object to serve in this matter beyond the common defense, and trust this may find you able to take some step in furnishing us guidance at least. The writer (W. H. Y.) is