excitement and some disaffection from our cause. Excitement is far preferable to the apathy which now exists, and disaffection will not be among the fighting men. It is said slavery is all we are fighting for, and if we give it up we give up all. Even if this were true, which we deny, slavery is not all our enemies are fighting for. It is merely the pretense to establish sectional superiority and a more centralized form of government, and to deprive us of ourrights and liberties. We have now briefly proposed a plan which we believed will save our couimperfect, but in all human probability it would give us our indpendence. No objection ought to outweight it which is not weithtier than independence. If it is worthy of being put in practice it ought to be mooted quickly before the people, and urged earnestly by every man who believes in its efficacy. Negroes will require much training; training will require time, and there is danger that this concession to common sense may come too late.

P. R. Cleburne, major-general, commanding division; D. C. Govan, brigadier-general; John E. Murray, colonel Fifth Arkansas; G. F. Baucum, colonel Eighth Arkansas; Peter Snyder, lieutenant-colonel, commanding Sixth and Seventh Arkansas; E. Warfield, lieutenant-colonel, Second Arkansas; M. P. Lowrey, brigadier-general; A. B. Hardcastle, colonel Thirty-second and Forty-fifth Mississippi; F. A. Ashford, major Sixteenth Alabama; John W. Colquitt, colonel First Arkansas; Rich. J. Person, major Third and Fifth Confederate; G. S. Deakins, major Thirty-fifth and Eighth Tennessee; J. H. Collett, captain, commanding Seventh Texas; J. H. Kelly, brigadier-general, commanding Cavalry Division.

[32.]

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. CAVALRY IN MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 7.
Grenada, January 4, 1864.

Major William Elliott, having reported at these headquarters, is announced as assistant adjutant-general, and will be obeyed and respected accordingly.

By command of Major General S. D. Lee:

G. W. HOLT,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[32.]

RICHMOND, VA., January 9, 1864.

General D. H. MAURY,

Mobile, Ala.:

Information from a person of high standing has been received. Admiral Farragut is preparing to attack Mobile, and will try to rush by the forts, as was done at New Orleans.*

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

(Similar telegrams to General J. E. Johnston, Dalton, Ga.; General L. Polk, via Meridian.)

[32.]

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*For Polk's reply, see VOL. XXXII, Part II, p. 542.

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