The inclosed copies of letters * to Governor Milton, of Florida, and Brigadier-General Cobb explain what has been done in the department of the latter to render his command more efficient. The Department agrees to receive into the C. S. Army for the term of six or twelve months, unless sooner discharged, a company raised at Eufaula, commanded by Captain Hardy. They can be mustered into service under orders from General Cobb, and the muster-rolls sent to the Adjutant and Inspector General's Office through that officer, to whom Captain Hardy will report for duty. The President consents that the conscripts in the counties of Barbour, Pikde, Dale, Henry, Coffee, and Covington may be mustered into service for coast defense, under the command of Colonel Clanton, first by filling up his companies to the maximum number, and afterward supplying such deficiencies in the service as may be considered necessary; that is, he may first fill up the ranks of his cavalry regiment and form, if practicable, two or three companies of infantry and a section of artillery. The object of the Department is to meet your views frankly and to give you all that you ask, that, with the means thus furnished and others at your command, you may afford effectual aid to the population on the coast in case of any invasion. The conscripts belonging to these organizations will be held subject to the acts of conscription whenever the demand for service elsewhere becomes more imperious than in the particular section where they are; but the expectation of the Department is that their duty will be to provide efficiently for the coast defense of the coast of West Florida and Alabama.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. A. CAMPBELL,

Assistant Secretary of War.

[15.]

VICKSBURG, January 23, 1863.

Major J. J. REEVE,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

MAJOR: In compliance with your request I respectfully submit the following suggestions after our reconnaissance of yesterday: The line which we examined most remote from Vicksburg, extending from the signal station on the Warrenton road to the bridge on the Hall's Ferry road, is too long to be judiciously occupied as a line of battle for the force now here, and is, besides, liable to all the objections of a first line; but I respectfully urge the consideration of fortifying the signal hill and the hill on the left reported by Captain Gillespie as commanding the Hall's Ferry road. These two positions could be obstinately held by a small force against a large one, and could detain the advancing army. The signal hill is especially important to us. Unless we should be very greatly re-enforced our line of defense below Vicksburg will necessarily be near the town, and that which is now being fortified by the engineer officers appears to me as good as any which can be adopted, so far as I saw it.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

DABNEY H. MAURY,

Major-General.

[24.]

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*Not found as inclosures, but see Seddon to Cobb, VOL. XIV, p.737; Seddon to Milton, January 13, 1863, VOL. LIII, p.273.

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