I and exepcted my force would reach 6,000 men of all arms, but you see it will fall to an actual strength of 5,000. General Loring has retained the Eighth Virginia Cavalry and makes me most deficient in cavalry. Not content with this, he ordered a mustering officer to come to Tazewell, and took in a new command, creating for Colonel Davis all of the new battalion which I applied to you for liberty to muster, and all of which had been raised under my permission, and the larger part of it before he came to the departmenrt. I cannot remedy these evils without your assistance, and I go, threfore, accoutered as I am, trusting to your disposition to do me justice, and that should you determine to have things as they are you will compensate me by directing other and equivalent force to my command. It is the last thing I could desire to have any

difficulty or misunderstanding with a brother officer, but I do think I have been hardly treated in this department. I expect General Loring was deceived by Captain Caldwell, whose anxiety to rise in rank has made him attempt to transfer a command without my consent, as it induced him to separate his company into several parts to act as nucleuses for new companies. I arrested him and will try and bring his company into line properly before I am done with it. I want you to say law into execution. I think it may be as well to do so. I have instructed my officers as follows: Men must now choose their side. If they are on our side they must obey the law of Congress and join the army at once. IOf on the other side they must not be left in my rear, and must go forth and stand the draft the Union men are enforcing in Kentucky. When men are to within the military ages I require them to come shoud be considered and treated as enemis. My pokicy is to make an armed occupation of the State as far as we penetreate it and to organize our system, leaving only friends bhind us. The mild policy I pursued last winter will not win, I am convinced; and while I would nwho are really non combatants, something must be done to arrest the feeling that our people are the only ones who are to suffer fromteh vicissitudes of war.

When the tide is against us, the other aprty persecute our people. WHen the tide is with us, these very persecutors have no fear we will do them harm, and, therfore, they preserve a status which does not assist in any event and does not resist the Federals at any time. This state of affairs I hsll endavor to correct. It has occurred to me as wise to organize companies of partisan rangers to be kept in my rear and to enforce there my policy, to send up young men to the army, and to prevent combinations among my enemies. They willserve to guard trains and to keep open thelines of communcaiton between armeis and posts. If the enemy masses in front, these companies can be summoned forward to a fight and will come, while they will not be rwuired to leave home for so long a time as to give them a great reluctance to the serivce. I act on the hypotheiss that young men once embarked in military life gradually learn to prefer camp life and regular service. I wish you would indicate to me your approbation of this plan at an early day if the President approves my policy and give me authority to appoint partisan rangers, in advance of application to you, but only to be fixed after nomination to you and return of muster- rolls. I trust you will, sivnce General Smith's splendid victory at Richmond, Ky., divert the small army you meant to send to him so as to let me have 5,000 at once. Eastern Kentucky has no