myself to carry out the will of the people of this State in the maintenance of a neutral position. The people of Kentucky desire to be free from the presence of contending armies, and avert invasion of their soil from either side; and to that object then my efforts are now directed. Although I have no reason to assume that the Government of the Confederate States now contemplate or have ever purposed any violation of the neutral attitude assumed by Kentucky, there seems to be some uneasiness among the people of some portions of the State, occasioned by the collection of bodies of troops their southern frontier. In order to quiet that apprehension and to secure the people their cherished object of peace, this communication is to represent these facts and to elicit an authoritative assurance that the Government of the Confederate States will continue to respect and observe the neutral position of Kentucky.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

B. MAGOFFIN.

[4.]

MONTGOMERY, May 19, 1861.

Governor JOHN J. PETTUS,

Jackson, Miss.:

Rendezvous the five regiments, armed with muskets and rifles, at Corinth without delay.

L. P. WALKER,.

[1.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,

Montgomery, May 20, 1861.

Major J. GORGAS,

Chief Ordnance Bureau:

SIR: You will issue to Governor I. G. Harris, of Tennessee, 4,000 muskets, to be receipted for, on behalf of the State of Tennessee, by Colonel Samuel Tate, of Memphis.

Very respectfully,

L. P. WALKER.

[4.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,

Montgomery, May 20, 1861.

His Excellency ISHAM G. HARRIS,

Governor of Tennessee:

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that four regiments are required for the Confederate service to be raised in Tennessee, and which will be armed by this Department with muskets, and should Your Excellency desire it, and will arms four other regiments with the country rifle, they will be also received into the Confederate service. The general rendezvous of the first four regiments will be Union City, but as to the laey shall be organized, Your Excellency's proposition will be considered as to a point of rendezvous for them. Colonel Churchwell is here, and has assured this Department that he has now a regiment ready for service. If this be so, and if it be agreeable to Your Excellency, one of the four regiments named to be armed with muskets may be that he has mentioned, in which event the rendezvous of that regiment may be made Knoxville instead of Union City.