HOUSTON, TEX., May 20, 1864.

Brigadier General W. R. BOGGS:

I have the honor to report, for the information of the general commanding the department, that the troops left in the State of Texas are totally inadequate to its defense in case General Banks should move upon our coast, as I believe he will do. Five thousand troops are necessary for the defense of Galveston alone. Were I [to] collect at that point all the troops of this State, including the new leview and exclusive of McCulloch's in the North Sub-District, Anderson's regiment, guarding the prisoners at Tyler, and Ford's command, on the Rio Grande, all beyond my reach, I would not have a man left to defend any other point on the coast or to fight an army moving into the interior. The Governor has yielded to the Confederate authorities his claims to the conscripts between the ages of eighteen to forty-five, and the reserve corps. The organization of the latter has been deferred by orders from Department headquarters to the 16th of June, and before the publication of that order numbers of men have been turned back in all parts of the State who were seeking to organize themselves into a reserve corps, by the enrolling officers, with a singular unanimity, which has prevented the formation of that corps, except in comparatively small numbers, and thus left this State almost without defense.

The enrolling officers, under the law of Congress, had no control whatever over them between the ages of sixteen and seventeen and forty-five and fifty seeking to form themselves in reserve corps, and I cannot conceive why they should have so acted. I have personal knowledge of the fact coming down from Shreveport to this place, and evidence to the same effect n other parts of the State have been presented to me. This, however, has now passed, as the order from department headquarters above alluded to fixed the 16th day of July or later, and in all probability will be of no use in the coming campaign. I have therefore to request, as Banks has left Alexandria, that at least Green's division and the rest of the troops recently sent by me from Texas, including Luckett's regiment and the artillery, be ordered to proceed to this point with the least possible delay.

The Federal General McClernand, second in command to Banks, was several months in command at Saluria, whence he proceeded to Louisiana, and is thoroughly acquainted with our defenses, the number of our forces, the topography of the country, and our situation generally. This information he obtained from an employed of the Engineer Department acting as topographical officer Captain Deitz, who deserted to the enemy just before the Louisiana campaign, and is now on the staff of General McClernand. Captain Deitz carried with him plans of the fortifications of Galveston and the whole coast and topographical drawings of the country bordering on the coast. Large quantities of supplies are reported to be in the depot at Saluria and on Mustang Island. I do not think there are 200 men between these places and San Antonio. It will take a month for the troops recently sent from Texas to Louisiana to return to this place. Banks

53 R R-VOL XXXIV, PT III