MONTGOMERY, ALA., December 12, 1864.

Major General M. L. SMITH,

Mobile, Ala.:

Letter of the 6th instant received. Orders were to report to Major-General Maury to be assigned to the defenses of Mobile. I cannot feel justifiable in relieving you until so directed by General Beauregard, as it was so done in pursuance of his orders. You should remain on this duty until relieved.

GEO. WM. BRENT,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

[45.]

SELMA, ALA., December 13, 1864.

General BRAXTON BRAGG,

Commanding Armies of Southern Confederacy, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose official copies of a letter addressed by General Beauregard to the Adjutant and Inspector General,* and one addressed by Major E. Willis, chief quartermaster of the General Beauregard's military division, to the honorable Secretary of the Treasury.* The subject of these letters is one that I have already discussed in my reports from Mississippi, and one whose importance has been recognized by you. At the request of Major Willis, I beg to present the matter again for your consideration, and respectfully forward the inclosed letters for your information. Both General Beauregard and Major Willis urge the policy of giving to Major Livingston Mims, chief quartermaster for Mississippi, such instructions and powers as may enable him to obtain supplies from within the enemy's lines by the exchange of cotton therefor. Major Mims has already been instructed to supervise and control such operations, but no definite instructions have as yet reached him, nor has any Government cotton been placed at his disposal. The object of the inclosed communications is to obtain from the Department such instructions and powers as may enable Major Mims to perform this important duty. Be reference to the report which I had the honor to transmit, viz, on the operations of Major L. Mims, chief quartermaster, Enterprise, July 22, 1864; on the operations of Major John S. Mellon, commissary of subsistence, Grenada, charged with the execution of the "Pollard contract," August 29, and report from Panola, September 3, it will be seen that I strongly urged the necessity and importance of intrusting all such operations to the control of one responsible officer, and designated Major Mims as peculiarly fit for such a duty. By such a system the evils that had hitherto attended such exchanged (and they were undoubtedly great) would be obviated, and the supply of much-needed stores would be rendered certain, cheap, and abundant.

The Government has already taken one step in the direction urged by my report, and has given Major Mims control of such operations. What is now desired is that suitable instructions and powers may be granted to him to enable him to begin operations at once. The wisdom and expediency of appropriating the Government cotton, now lying in Mississippi in an exposed and decaying condition, to the procurement of supplies for our armies in the field will at once suggest itself to you. Hitherto the failure of all such attempts is due to the fact that the Government has entered into various small contracts with individuals,

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*See VOL. XLV, Part II, pp. 637, 639.

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