QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Richmond, January 14, 1864.

Governor J. E. BROWN,

Milledgeville, Ga.:

General Johnston considers the supply of his army as seriously endangered by the condition of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. The want of fuel and condition of rolling-stock present serious obstacles. I beg to call your attention earnestly to this matter, s the fate of Georgia may depend on that road. Can this Department assist in any arrangement you desire to make?

A. R. LAWTON,

Quartermaster-General.

[32.]

DALTON, GA., January 14, 1864.

[CONFIDENTIAL.]

Lieutenant General L. POLK,

Enterprise, Miss.:

GENERAL: After you have read what I am about to dislose to you, I hope you will not think I have asumed any unwarrantable intimacy in marking this communication as confidential.

My thoughts for ten days past have been so oppressed with the weight of the subject as to arouse in my mind the most painful apprehensions of future results, and has caused me to cast about for a friend of clear head, ripe judgment, and pure patriotism with whom to confer and take counsel. My choice has fallen upon you, sir, and I proceed at once to lay the matter before you. On the 2nd of January I received a circular order from the headquarters, Hindman's Corps, informing me that the commanding general of the army desired division commanders to meet him at his quarters at 7 o'clock that evening. At the hour designated I was at the appointed place. I met in the room General Johnston, Lieutenant-General Hardee, Major-Generals Walker, Stewart, and Stevenson, and in a moment afterwards Major-Generals Hindman and Cleburne entered, Brigadier-General Bate coming in a few moments later-the whole, with the general commanding, embracing all the corps and division commanders (infantry) of this army except Major-General Cheatham, who was not present. In a few minutes General Johnston requested Lieutenant-General Hardee to explain the object of the meeting, which he did by stating that Major-General Cleburne had prepared with great care a paper on an important subject addressed to the officers of this army and he proposed that it now be read. General Cleburne proceeded to read an elaborate article on the subject of our past disasters, present condition, and inevitable future ruin unless an entire change of policy might avert it. That change he bodlly and proudly proposed to effect by emancipating our slaves and putting muskets in the hands of all of them capable of bearing arms, thus securing them to us as allies and equals, and insuring a superiority of numbers over our enemies, &c.

Yes, sir; this plain but, in my view, monstrous proposition was calmly submitted to the generals of this army for their sanction and adoptio, with the avowed purpose of carrying it to the rank and file. I will not attempt to describe my feelins on being confronted by a project so strartling in its character-may I say so revolting to Southern sentiment, Southern pride, and Southern honor. And not the least painful of the motions awakened by it was the consciousness which forced itself upon me that it met with favor by others besides the author