arduous labors I am just gettint things in my department in a satisfactory condition. With more heavy guns for this city and Savannah and more men at the proper time, I hope to be able to give a good account of my trust; whereas, if were ordered now to retrieve affairs in Tennessee I would probably get there too late to do much good, and my health, I fear, would not stand the cold weather of that latitude, especially when as much exposed to it as I would necessarily have to be. Moreover, I found so, little sympathy on the part of the Government last winter and spring, when, although prostrated by a terrible sickness, I was moving Heaven and earth to save our cause in the valley of the Mississippi, that I do not desire or rather I would dread, being placed again in a similar position. Should the worse come to the worse you are at liberty show this letter to my friends. I send you herewith a telegraphic cipher for our private use, furnished also to Governors Bonham, Brown, and Milton, and the copy of a letter just addressed to the first two, which may give you my views of the present course of events in North Carolina.*

Yours, truly and sincerely,

G. T. BEAUREGARD.

[14.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,

Richmond, Va., January 8, 1863.

Brigadier-General FINEGAN,

Lake City, East Florida:

The execution of the conscript acts in your department is so far suspended that you are authorized to organiye for the home defense companies composed of person of any age, with the uthority to elect their company officers and to be organized into battalions or regiments under orders from the President, and with field officers appointed by him. If the President should hereafter think proper to disband these companies, none but those liable to conscription will be retained in the service without their consent.

JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

[14.]

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF MIDDLE FLORIDA,
Quincy, January 12, 1863.

Honorable JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: Your letter of the 30th ultimo,+ after being on the way for twelve days, reached me to-day. Desirous of avoiding such delays and anxious for an early reply to this communication, I sen it by one of my staff. Your telegraph of the 2nd instant authorized me to raise

troops in the manner I hd suggested. As, however, you said in the tegraph you had written me fully, I acted only limited extent under that authority, waiting for the receipt of your letter for fuller instructions. It was fortunate I did so, as the authority given in your letter is entirely different from what I supposed from the telegraph it would be. I regret very much that I was so unfortunate in making myself understood in my letter of the 6th of December, inclosed to you by General Beauregard, as it will lead to much delay in the raising of

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*See Beauregard to Bonham, VOL. XIV, p,743.

+Ibid., p.737.

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