The commandant at camp may excuse necessary physicians not exceeding three selected by the inferior court wherever a selection has been made by them. All actual millers engaged in the mills as such, when needed at home, will be excused. In extreme cases of hardship, where it is the unanimous report of the neighbors that humanity requires it on account of the condition of the family, as in case of a blind or insane wife, &c., temporary exemptions may be granted. This power is to be exercised with great caution, as it is subject to abuse, and a thorough organization of all such persons able to bear arms in this emergency is absolutely necessary. The commandant at Athens will confer and consult with Brigadier-General Reynolds, who is respectfully requested to give all the aid in his power by couriers to circulate my proclamation and these orders in Northeastern and Cherokee Georgia, and aid in furnishing supplies to the militia camp. All persons under fifty years of age who are subject under my previous order to service in Major-General Smith's command of militia and who have failed to report, will be denied the privilege of going into the new organizations, and will be sent to their respective commands under General Smith. This will not affect the organizations which have heretofore, under my proclamation, been formed in upper Georgia in the rear of the enemy, if they now report promptly as organizations, but will aply in all other cases. Only those not subject to duty under General Smith will be received in new organizations.

JOSEPH E. BROWN.

[44.]

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Macon, Ga., December 3, 1864.

Honorable A. R. WRIGHT,

President of the Senate of the State of Georgia, Augusta:

On my return from a trip to Southwestern Georgia I find your letter of the 24th ultimo. as the communication between this place and Augusta had not been destroyed, but the line only lengthened by way of Thomasville and Savannah, which was kept open, and in daily use, as shown by your proclamation of the 1st of November, and your order of the 22d, which both referred to my proclamation, dated the 19th ultimo, which was published in the Macon paper on the same day, showing that my proclamation and orders published in this city were received in Augusta the second day after they were issued, I cannot admit that the contingency contemplated in the constitution had happened, which authorized the President of the Senate to assume and exercise the functions of Governor. My proclamation published in this city on the 19th of November directed the militia to report to Major-General Smith. Yours dated at Augusta the 21st declared part of mine revoked, and ordered all east of the Oconee who had not reported to Major-General Wayne, to report at Augusta. This looked more like disapprobation of my orders than want of knowledge of what they were, of the means of communicating with my headquarters. My subsequent orders of the 25th of November, which changed that part of my proclamation which requires all to report to Major-General Smith, and establish four camps of organization, were issued after consultation with General Beauregard, Lieutenant-General Taylor, and Major-General Cobb, who were all present at the consultation in this city. These orders were published with the full sanction and approval of General Beauregard,