soon be organized, and therefore the present force can soon be dispensed with. My inspector represents that there is great danger that the men between 18 and 45 will refuse to enter old organizations, and gives it as his opinion that if it could be consistently done it would be better to order them to the field with their present organization. I would respectfully suggest that in order to avert difficulties on this point it would be well to turn the companies over to Major-General Withers, commanding reserves, who could rendezvous them at some point where a sufficient armed force could be present to secure the enforcement of any order abstracting the men liable to general service. If this suggestion meets the approval of the superintendent I am of opinion that all difficulties will be obviated. I fear, however, that unless some such course is adopted a large number of the men will not be secured to the general service aprrticularly as nearly all the officers are themselves liable to general service, therefore likely to be very much opposed to a dismemberment of their companies. As we need all the strength and unity that it is possible to secure, great care should be taken to make every soldier a willing one. I shall await instructions from the superintendent.

I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. C. LOCKHART,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Commandant, Alabama.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. C. LOCKHART,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Commandant, Alabama.

[39.]

RICHMOND, VA., July 2, 1864.

Honorable CHARLES CLARK,

Columbus, Miss.:

The reports from our State indicate a necessity for a larger force than General S. D. Lee now has, and I request that your will aid, both by your official and personal influence, in the speedy and efficient organization of the reserves. General Brandon has been appointed to command them.

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

[39.]

MONTGOMERY, July 4, 1864.

Honorable J. A. CAMPBELL:

DEAR SIR: The absorbing interest which we all, in this part of the country, feel in regard to the campaign in progress in Georgia must be my apology for addressing you. I do not for a moment suppose that the Administration is unadvised of or at all inattentive to the state of things in Georgia, nor am I vain enough to imagine that my opinions as to military operations are entitled to the least weight with those who have the means of controlling them. But I have thought it possible that the opinions and feelings prevailing in General Johnston's army and among the people in the region of country defended by it in reference to the operations of that army are not as fully understood in Richmond as they should be. The retrograde movements of General Johnston had, I must confess, prepared me to anticipate some abatement of the universal confidence previously felt throughout this country in his capacity and skill and also some deterioration of the discipline and spirit of his army. But so far from this being true, I found on my return from Richmond no indication whatever that the popular confidence in General Johnston had been at all shaken by his retreating policy. In the contrary, so far as I have been able to dicover, the opinion is almost universal that the policy he has adopted was judicious and necessary. As to the army itself, its confidence in Johnston