Respectfully submitted to Secretary of War.

The language of the conspription acts of April and September is that the persons in service whose term shall expire, and those called out and placed in service, "shall serve for three years, unless the war shall have been sooner ended." The inquiry is one of the utmost gravity, and the policy of the Goernment cannot be determined too early in reference to the probabilities of the future.

J. A. CAMPBELL,

HEADQUARTERS,
Wilmington, September 2, 1863.

Honorable JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: I send by Colonel Tansill, assistant inspector- general of this department, and a member of my staff, a distingushed and able officer, a special letter to you, relative to the condition of this department, sepecially as regards the Cape Fear District, and the necessity for some immediate action to supply a force to meet emergencies.

Colonel Tansill is acquainted with my views and plans, and throughly knows the country.

If you will refer to the maps accompanying my memoir to the President, he can illustrate and point out the features of the country, with the weak point out the features of the country, with the weak points and strong ones of the plan.

I request you will give him an audience, and, if you think proper that you will introduce him to the President. He has some other letters of mine to yu- copies of them, rather- intrusted to him as a member of my staff to aid as memoradnda.

I have said that an army was necessary here, and that in my judgment it is time to commence assembling it.

I beg you implicitly to believe that if my opinion in this matter is deemed by the President to be correct, and that an army will be sent here, I hope and wish that as far as I am concerned there will be no difficulty as to command. All I want is to secure the safety of this most iportant place, and to do that I desire to use all my porsonal endeavors either as engimeer or as commanding a divesion. Any one of the generals of the army or the corps commanders to take the command of such a body of men as I deem necessary to secure this, will be all that can be desired by me at any rate.

With great respect, your obedient servant,

W. H. C. WHITING,

Major- General.

{Indorsement.]

SEPTERMBER 4, 1863.

Respectfully submitted to the President.

General Whiting has sent these papers* by a trusted officer, to whom he refers for more special information, and seems to desire he should have the opportunity of presenting his views to the President. If it be your pleasure to see him, I will call with him at any hour to- morrow you may prefer.

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*See also Whiting's letters of August 24 and 25, copies of which were inclosed with that of August 31.

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