saber and your kepi; I have had to wait a long time for the former. It is truly magnificent, and the blade is of superior cast steel. The price of the two articles is veryhigh. We are short of everything here, and labor is at high premium. I hope you will be pleased, and if you should desire anything sent to you from here, I will make it my duty to attend to your orders. I have letters from Colonel McGinnis. He says the President is fully impressed with the importance of the movement we proposed to you to execute in the very center of the Unionists in Kentucky. The events have already proved the necessity of the occupation of the points we have designated. The President would give us the necessary power, but cannot supply us with arms, which are indispensable for the plan we contemplated. Colonel McGinnis says that if you and some other officer of high rank, like General Johnston and General McCown, urge my appointment to theer-general in the Provisional Army, I am sure to have it, as the President, who knows me personally, thinks I can be of some service in Kentucky. My ambition is not so great. If you want me, I will resign my commission in the State service and accept of any commission you may desire to ask for me. My presence here can be of no earthly use. I have to deal with a set of politicians, who have determined to abuse me in such a manner as to compel me to resign my office, whch is desired by one of the Governor's minions.

Now that I have 8,000 men under my orders they have found out what a power the general commanding the legion could wield, and want to seize upon it. This has disgusted me and made me desirous to fight our battles on some other point of the Confederacy. If you think I deserve your patronage, I beg that you may take this matter into consideration. I have here one battery of artillery, the Beauregard Battery, and some other companies of infantry who are desirous to go to Columbus. The Governor having issued orders that n o more troops should leave the State, I could not send them to you without an order from the President authorizing me to do so. I shall have to disband them first and then enlist them for Confederate service. I can, with proper authority, raise a brigade here, but could not arm nor uniform the men; arms and clothing not to be found here at any price. I am preparing a short paper upon the river defenses. I think unless you carry into exeuction the plan I suggeted to you at Columbus that you will not be able to stop the gun-boats, or rather floating blinded, batteries, which are now building at Cincinnati, Louisville, and Saint Louis. They can at any time pass the land batteries at night, and with some little fight, in the day. Against such extraordinary measures we must adopt defenses of similar character. People here laugh at the idea of the Lincolnites passing from Cairo to New Orleans. I look upon the movement in a different light, and think it one of a most threatening kind for us, who have no means of defense proportionate to the attack. I would suggest the same plan I have proposed for the forts below the city, namely: First. Barring or closing the river at the limit of your upper batteries; the rafts blinded with sand-bags and heavy cross-ties. The rafts willa allow sufficient room for our baots to pass, and will be anchored singly with a compensation chain, in order to prevent any freshet from tearing them from their anchors. Second. Heavy batteries to be set on the Missouri side on Maximilian towers sufficient to repel any attack by land and water-one tower opposite Columbus, the other at one mile above, each mounting ten casemate guns and one heavy