RICHMOND, VA., June 15, 1864.

General S. JONES,

Charleston, S. C.:

Your dispatch to General Cooper has been referred. Call again on Generals Cobb and Chesnut stating your cease and requesting reserves to be sent promptly. Inquire into claim of First Regiment and Lucas Battalion to be discharged. If it be plausible, treat it with respectful attention. As soon as practicable it would, from your statement, seem advisable to disband, and after conscribing to disperse these commands by assigning the men to other companies.

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

[35.]

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. MILITARY DIST. OF FLORIDA, No. 28.
Lake City, June 17, 1864.

I. The reserve companies now in the service consist principally of men whose agricultural pursuits render their presence home at this season a matter of deep importance, both to their families and to the country. The major-general commanding deeply regrets that the exigencies of the time will not permit him to immediately dismiss these men to their homes, and, desirous of palliating as far as possible the losses that may result from their retention in service, directs that one-third of the officers and men of the reserve companies mustered into service, and now present for duty, be furloughed for twenty days, and that immediately upon the return of the men first furloughed the same privilege be extended to another third of the companies, to be repeated until all have been furloughed. While adopting this course the major-general commanding desires to express his confident hope that the military situation may soon permit to dismiss the whole of these companies to their homes, as he fully realizes the necessity of attending to the growing crops.

II. Furloughs under this order will be granted by the sub-district commanders on the application of the company commanders, and will be subject to recall by the major-general commanding should the movements of the enemy at any time necessitate the present of the troops.

By command of Major-General Anderson:

WM. G. BARTH,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[35.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A., Richmond, Va., June 17, 1864.

General JAMES CHESNUT, Jr.,

Columbia, S. C.:

General Sam Jones telegraph as follows:

Movements of enemy decidedly indicate attack on some point near here. Troops are concentrating at Folly Island. My force is entirely too small for the protection of Charleston and Savannah and the railroad connecting them. I beg that 2,000 infantry be sent me for service here, here, and 1,000 at Savannah. I have received no reserve force.

J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

(The above also sent to General Howell Cobb, Macon, Ga.)

[35.]