drawn supplies of beef, sugar, and syrup for the sustenance of our armies in the field. It was not till some time after our troops had been sent to Virginia that he made a corresponding detachment from Jacksonville to re-enforce Grant. Up to the time of the withdrawal of the infantry as above, none of the reserves had been asked for by me our turned over to my command; but when Baldwin (the key to East Florida and the peninsula) was left without any defense but such as one company and about 350 cavalry, which had seen but little or no actual service, could oppose, I immediately (on the --- May) urged upon the commandant of conscripts the importance of hastening the organization of the reserve forces for the purpose of defending Baldwin and other threatened points. To this end I assigned officers temporarily to duty with the commandant of conscripts, and put those of my staff who were available to work with the same purpose. By diligence and activity Major J. J. Daniels, acting commandant of conscripts, with the assistance alluded to was enabled to turn over to me between the 29th of May and 2nd of June four companies of reserve, which were hastened to Baldwin as fast as they were armed and steam bould taken hem. They were barely in time to be ready to meet an advance by the enemy from Jacksonville with a force of eight regiments of infantry, a battalion of cavalry, and six pieces of artillery. After having driven our cavalry back to Baldwin doubtless he heard of the arrival at that place of infantry re-enforcements, which caused him to suddenly halt, then retrace his steps to Jacksonville, where he has remained ever since, without having accomplished anything more than the wounding of one or two of our men and as many horses.

The wisdom and necessity of calling into active service the reserves at the time cannot be more fully vindicated than by reference to these simple facts; and I do not suppose that Governor Milton or Colonel Miller, or the numerous respectable and intelligent citizens who have addressed the President on the subject, would have objected to calling these forces into the field had they anticipated the withdrawal of the regular forces then in Florida and the condition of things as they existed soon after that withdrawal. Since this last demonstration by the enemy upon Baldwin he has sent off nearly, if not quite, all of his white troops from Jacksonville, indicating, for the present at least, no purpose to operate beyond the range of his guns at that place or those afloat on the Saint John's. I have therefore given direction and am now making such dispositions as will result in returning to their homes the most of the reserves, only retaining such as are absolutely required to guard bridges, stores, and one or two particular localities threatened by bands of deserters, and to afford all an opportunity of attending to their farms and domestic affairs generally. Those who are retained are to be relieved at stated periods by others of the same force who have been permitted to return home. I am fully impressed with an idea of the importance of husbanding all our agricultural resources and of increasing in every way possible the productions of the farm, and shall therefore refrain from interfering with the labor necessary to insure an increased supply of food for the troops and the people, except when that labor can be better employed in defending the farms, crops, and homes of the citizens. It may not be improper in this connection to remark that owing to the sparseness of the popistrict, the great are of territory in which there are but few people, and the want of steam facilities for easy and and rapid travel it will be impossible to concentrate or assemble these forces again, when they have once been permitted to disperse, in time to meet any sudden emergency.