or absence without leave, with the exceptions above mentioned, and all men who come within the provisions of this paragraph will at once be released from earnest and return to duty.

By command of General E. Kirby Smith:

S. S. ANDERSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Abstract from return of the defenses of Galveston, Colonel Ashbel Smith commanding, for April 27, 1865.

Present for duty.

Command. Office Men Aggregat

rs e

present

Cook's regiment heavy artillery 16 208 317

20th Regiment Texas Volunteer 16 442 533

Infantry

8th Regiment Texas Volunteer 11 151 188

Infantry

2nd Regiment Texas Volunteer 28 420 504

Infantry

Timmons' (Texas) volunteer 20 322 384

infantry

Mann's (Texas) volunteer cavalry 25 350 443

Pyron's (Texas) volunteer cavalry 18 116 161

Dege's light artillery 4 74 114

Batteries Rodgers and Magruder 7 150 214

Battery Green 7 104 132

Battery Jackson 2 122 153

Battery Sherman 3 67 79

Battery Scurry 3 58 66

Border's (Texas) volunteer cavalry 26 323 397

Total 186 2,907 3,685

HOUSTON, April 28, 1865.

General E. KIRBY SMITH,

Commanding Trans-Mississippi Department:

GENERAL: In the present crisis of our affairs, when so much uncertainty and despondency exist, I deem it my duty, as one of the generals holding an important command under Your orders, to communicate directly with You to offer You the fullest assurances of my most cordial support and to present for Your consideration such views for the defense of the district which I have the honor to command and which is the most important of the Trans-Mississippi Department, as seem best calculated to sustain the confidence and the interest of the Trans-Mississippi Department. The first great object to be secured is a unity of purpose and action on the part of all the military authorities of the country. Were communication with His Excellency the President uninterrupted, were the locality even of the Government known, the assurance of the cordial support which I offer You might be considered unnecessary, as the laws prescribe obedience to the order of our superiors, and patriotism dictates that it should be rendered with alacrity and effect; but under present circumstances it is apparent to me that there cannot be too perfect an understanding between the subordinate generals and the commanding general of the department. In all communities in a similar situation there are men and even officers who make a pretext of the peculiar state of public affairs to abandon their colors and seek their homes. Demagogues take advantage of the occasion to accomplish their own purposes. The soldiers are excited against certain