would not then have succeeded in getting his commission had he not been previously appointed and dropped. I found it impossible to get even a hearing in behalf of others who had requested me to present their claims to position or preferment at Richmond, the invariable and we being that the President,having found it impossible to keep himself properly informed as to the requirements of the service in the Department ofthe Trans- Mississippi, had been compelled to adopt the inflexible rule of requiring the indorsement of th general commanding that department upon all applications for appointment, &c., and that no such application would be entertained without such indorsement. Please explain this to any of our friends who may complain of our seeming neglect of their interests. We can do nothing or them. I have been very sorry to learn of the differences between Generals Smith and Taylor. I presume that it is these that have paralyzed our armies in Louisiana and Arkansas, and kept you from advancing against Steele. It is unfortunate for General Smith that he has ben drawn into a conflict with Taylor. The latter has powerful friends at Richmond, the former has powerful enemy is there. My chief apprehension is that our cause will suffer through these dissensions. It is the constant talk on this side of th Mississippi that Smith is on ill terms not only with Taylor but with General Magruder and yourself. In fact, I am asked almost every day as to the cause of the differences between yourself and General Smith, and am as often told that the questioners had been informed that they originated in your failure to obey certain orders given to you by General Smith immediately preceding the enemy's occupation of Camden. I never fail to say to all such persons that whoever charges you with disobeying or failing to obey any order of General Smith at that or any other time lies. The first time that I heard the statement was from a gentleman who told me that Judge Devine, of Texas (who was with General Smith whilst we were in front of Camden), was circulating that report very industriously in Texas immediately after the battle of Jenkins' Ferry. This was very soon after I had gotten to this side of the river. I have heard the same charge made again and again since that time from here to Richmond and back, and the prevalence of it is injuring you and our State. I heard it again a few days ago in Mobile from a highly honorable and intelligent gentleman, who is a warm admirer and devoted personal friend of General Smith. He was amazed when I informed him that the charge was utterly false and absolutely without foundation. I hope that you will write to General Smith and ask him to state to you frankly whether he has given circulation to the charge. I fear that he has not ben just to you in his reports ofthe campaign in Arkansas; otherwise Congress would have included you in the vote of thanks which was given to General Taylor. I know that the principal cause of the failure to embrace you in that vote was the opposition of General Taylor's friends to a vote of thanks to General Smith; but that cause is not sufficient, and I fear that it is to be found in the fact that General Smith had not reported you faithfully at Richmond, where one of his staff, Major Bryan,was during the last ten or fifteen days of the session. I hope that you will require an explanation of General Smith and send me a copy of his letter. Whilst I have great faith in the fairness and honor of General Smith, I am pained to believe that he is under the influence of two malevolent men, Boggs and Marmaduke,and that they can control him whenever they see fit to do so, and this belief has greatly shaken my confidence in him. Of course you are at liberty to say to General Smith that I have given you this information, or to send him a copy of this part o my letter if you see fit to do so.