manifested in Mississippi has been a source of comfort and pride to me. Energy and united effort added to the patriotic zeal so generally prevalent give the best assurance of an early peace. I hope your convention will give additional power to the public defense and unanimity among the governments of the States on all matters of military policy.

Very respectfully, yours, &c.,

JEFF'N DAVIS.

JACKSONVILLE, ALA., October 20, 1864-5 p. m.

Lieutenant General RICHARD TAYLOR, Selma, Ala.:

General Beauregard directs you await orders in Selma.

GEO. WM. BRENT,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

[39.]

GARSDEN, October 21, 1864.

Governor I. G. HARRIS, Selma:

Meet me in Jacksonville as soon as possible.

G. T. BEAUREGARD,

General.

(Same to General Taylor.)

[39.]

MOBILE, October 21, 1864.

[General STERLING PRICE:]

MY DEAR GENERAL: Colonel Gause, who takes this letter to you, can tell you all the news, and I shall not, therefore, write any. I have been waiting here for Hardesty's return, but shall start to Richmond within five days. Congress meets on the 7th of November. Norton has been quite ill and will not be able to take his seat at the beginning of the session. I have not heard recently from any of the other members. Judge Tucker is here editing the Argus. Wisely is publisher and Jack Duncan is foreman of the concern. Important military movements which cannot even be hinted at are on foot, and promise, with the assistance which you and our brave Missourians are giving, to relieve both Atlanta and Richmond. No oen can overestimate the immense service that your expedition has laready done the country east of the Mississippi. It has not only relieved MObile of the great danger with which it was threatened by the approach of Smith's corps from Memphis, but it has been of inculculable advantage to Hood by releasing Forrest from the duty of checking Smith and enabled him to go to the succor of Hood. I have taken care to impress these considerations, which are obvious enough, upon every one that I have talked with, for your movement is one which to be really valuable must be sustained now and next year. General Taylor tells me that the President only promoted buckner upon the constant and urgent application of General Smith. He (Taylor) thinks the promotion very unjust to you, Magruder, and Walker, and that it ought not to have been made. I am sorry that I cannot share the admiration which you all bestow on General Smith. I do not think that he is competent to command the Department of the Trans-Mississippi, and