Jacksonville. If this regiment should be needed for service out of the State it can move more rapidly by being concentrated. When the Third Regiment was ordered to Corinth one or two of tho companies were serving near the upper Saint John's, guarding t public property landed at Smyrna. It took them some time to reach their regiment, as they had to march to the Florida Railorad, the enemy being in possession of the river. The regiment reorganized to-day at Midway. To-morrow they will go to the Chattahoochee River, where steamers await them to carry them to Columbus. Three companies of the First Regiment Cavalry marched this morning, and the balance will go on as infantry. They have been drilled in that arm of the service and can serve as such. I shall have nine companies of cavalry left, which is fully as much of that arm of the service as I require in this department.

I have the honor to be, general, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH FINEGAN,

Brigadier-General, Commanidng.

[14.]

HEADQUARTERS,
Richmond, Va., May 13, 1862.

His Excellency JOSEPH E. BROWN,

Governor of Georgia, Milledgeville:

GOVERNOR: I regret to perceive by Your Excellency's letter of the 7th instant to Colonel Gorgas that you suppose it was intended by me to take possession of certain Enfield rifles received by the Nashville. The cargo of the Nashville was saved with much difficulty and brought to Wilmington at a time when it was believed from the movements of General burnside, then in possession of New Berne and other points on that coast, that he was preparing to attack that city. The whole cargo was reported as belonging to the Confederate States, and was forwarded here with all possible dispatch, except certain arms issued to the troops at Goldsborough. Before the arrival of the arms in this city orders were given for a certain number to be forwarded to General Kirby Smith, Knowxville, for the armament of the Georgia regiments sent by Your Excellency to that place. In the act of forwarding the arms to Knoxville Colonel Gorgas reported that twelve of the boxes were marked with your initials, "J. E. B.," and that he was confident, though he had no other evience, that they were intended for the State of Georgia. I told him to report the facts to you and ascertain your wishes. I was unwilling to retain the arms in this city and thought it hazardous to send them back over the road and through Wkilmington, which at that time was entirely engrossed with the transportation of troops, stores, &c., and therefore authorized them to be forwarded with the other arms to Knoxville, with the express underestanding that they were not to be issued until you signified your assent, and then only to the Georgia troops. As you had been obliged to send these troops from the State unarmed, from your previous willingness to furnish all the arrms in your power, I believed that would be the destination you would give them. I acknowledge your right as to their distribution, and but for the circu have related I should have forbidden their leaving the city until you had been heard from I will now direct that they be sent through Cahttanooga to Milledgeville and request General Smith to telegraph to you the time of their departure. I exceedingly regret my misapprehension of Your Excellency's intentions, especially