THE COMMAND OF THE REBEL ARMIES.

By the section of the constitution adopted by the rebel Congress at Montgomery, Ala., the President of the Confederacy was Commander-in-Chief of the militia of the several States when called into the actual service of the Confederate States. In his military capacity as Commander-in-Chief he was authorized by section 4 of the act approved August 21, 1861, to appoint for his personal staff two aides-de-camp, with the rank, pay, and allowance of colonel of cavalry. By act of April 2, 1862, the number authorized was increased to six.

Prior to March, 1862, the President does not seem to have shared with or delegated to any of his subordinates the duties of General-in-Chief of his armies.

On the 13th of that month, however, an order was published assigning "General Robert E. Lee to duty at the seat of Government," and he was charged, " under the direction of the President, with the conduct of the military operations in the armies of the Confederacy." On the 25th of the same month an act was passed providing specially a staff for a general assigned as above.

On the 24th of February, 1864, an order, as follows, was published, viz:

GENERAL ORDERS, NO.23.] General Braxton Bragg is assigned to duty at the seat of the Government, and, under the direction of the President, is charged with the conduct of military operations in the armies of the Confederacy.

This superseded General Lee.

On the 6th of February, 1865, an order and a law, as follows, were published, which continued in force until the downfall of the Confederacy:

GENERAL ORDERS, ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, No. 3.
Richmond, February 6, 1865.

I. The following act of Congress is published for the information of the Army:

"AN ACT to provide for the appointment of a General-in-Chief of the armies of the Confederate States.

'SECTION 1. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact that there shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an officer who shall be known and designated as "General-in-Chief," who shall be ranking officer of the Army, and as such shall have command of the military forces of the Confederate States.

'SEC. 2. That the act providing a staff for the general who may be assigned to duty at the seat of Government is hereby repealed, and that the General-in-Chief who may be appointed under the provisions of this act shall have a staff not less than that now allowed a general in the field, to be assigned by the President, or to be appointed by him, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

"Approved January 23, 1865."

II. General Robert E. Lee having been duly appointed General-in- Chief of the armies of the Confederate States will assume the duties thereof, and will be obeyed and respected accordingly.

III. General Orders, No. 23, of 1864, is hereby revoked.

By order:

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR MADE BY THE SECEDING STATES PRIOR TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CONFEDERACY.

The different States that undertook to rebel against the authority of the Federal Government commenced to call out and equip troops for the field, under their militia, laws, before the organization of the