put to work on ordnance and ordnance stores. Let their capacity be increased and air furnaces be erected, so as to meet the urgent demand for the manufacture of heavy guns. Let every furnace within our limits for smelting ore be worked to its full capacity, and if necessary let news ones be established. The supply of iron in our Confederacy is alarmingly deficient. Here again the surplus slave labor in the cotton States can be brought to bear weith telling effect. The work of mining and smelting iron and lead ore is very simple, and adequate supply can only be obtained in time to meet our wants by resorting to slave labor. By energetic action we can gradually place adequate armaments in these fortifications one by one, beginning at the one himself up the river. New Orleans, Memphis, and Vicksburg have extensive foundries, and if stimulated and encouraged they can do much toward furnishing armaments for the works. If the proposed plan be adopted, not only will the Mississippi be dotted with frowning batteries, but they can by the same means be erected in the interior of the country wherever needed. Thus our slaves, which our enemies consider an element of weakness, can be converted into a powerful and reliable means of defense. The fight at Fort Donelson has developed the fact that the boasted invulnerability of the enemy's gun-boats is a myth. Every one of the gun-boats was disabled in little over one hour, through the armament of the fort was small and none of the guns were of very large caliber. With batteries such as I propose we can successfully resist the entire feet of the enemy in the Western waters. If, however, we should be defeated at one point, we could so cripple their boats as to give our army time to fall back to the next defense below before their boats could advance, and thus every strong position on our great river. As matters now stand, if Memphis should fall there is nothing to prevent the enemy's gun-boats from desolating the country on both banks of the Mississippi to within of New Orleans. The results of an expedition down the river by the enemy no one can estimate. Our slaves in the Valley are generally congregated in large numbers on extensive plantations, the owners of which are frequently nonresidents. consequently the institution loses there in a great degree the patriarchal character it assumes where the master and family surely on the plantation. Deplorable and most disartrous result would surely follow the appearance of the enemy's gun-boats in the water of the Southern Mississippi. We need prompt action. Cannot the Government be induced to call on the planters without delay for their surplus slave labor to accomplish the end proposed? No one who is familiar with our people can doubt the result of the call. Surely the security of our homes and firesides is worth the effort. Independent of the physical, the moral effect of carrying out the plan proposed will be immense. It will inspire our people who reside on or near our great river with confidence. It may perhaps deter our enemy from making the attempt to descend the river, and it cannto fail to have a salutary influence on our slave population.

Respectfully, yours,

WM. T. WITHERS.

The undersigned regard the suggestions of General Withers of such importance that we respectfully call to them the attention of the President.

JOHN PERKINS, Jr.

D. F. KENNER,

LUCIUS J. DUPRE.