confidence will be resotred and all will fight to the death for Mississippi. The Mississippian has never encouraged these apprehensions, but endeavors on all occasions to allay them and instill perfect confidence in our commanders; but fears are daily expressed by leading influential men that the valley may not be saved, and this feeling prevails to an alarming extent in army and among our people. Whether well-founded or not, it must be obvious to you that the prevalence of such doubts at this time is extremely perilous.

COOPER AND KIMBARLL,

Editors Mississippian.

[Indorsement.]

Your dispatch is the more painful because there is no remedy. Time does not permit the charge you propose, if there was no o their reason; but you will see that a new man would have everything to learn when immediate action was required. The distrust surprises me and is surely unjust. Try to correct it, for our country's sake.

JEFF'N DAVIS.

[24.]

RICHMOND, VA., May 8, 1863.

Governor J. WHITFIELD, Bishop PAINE, Honorable JAMES T. HARRISON,

Doctor SYKES:

GENTLEMEN: I have duly reflected upon the important matters presented by you in our interview, and have carefully considered the letters submitted by you at the same time, to wit: The letter addressed to myself by the mayor and aldermen of the city of Columbus, and the report of the committee appointed to consider means for defense of the city of Columbus and valley of Tombigbee, as well as the memorandum submitted by Bishop Paine in reference to the number, condition, and disposition of the troops in Northeast Mississippi. The subject has not failed previously to command my attention, and I had already striven to provide for the defense of a section important to the well-being of the Confederacy, and from many personal considerations deeply interesting to me. It would be needless to explain to you how far my ability falls short of my earnest desire, or to recount the causes which so often prevent me from affording that full protection to various portions of our common country which is called for by every consideration that can animate manly and patriotic breasts or excite a public officer to greatest exertion. To supply as far as practicable the want created by the transfer of General Van Dorn's cavalry to the field of operations in Tennessee all the disposable mounte dforce in South Alabama was ordered up, and inquiry was instituted to ascertain whether General Van Dorn with his command could not be consistently returned to the department from which he had been withdrawn. The repulse of the enemy at Charleston, relievingour immediate necessities at that place, call was made for 8,000 or 10,000 troops to be sent to re-enforce General Pemberton. Five thousand infantry and some field artillery were detached for that purpose, the commanding general thinking that a greater number could not then be spared. To arm the military called out by the Governor of Mississippi 4,000 arms, with a supply of ammunition, have been sent forward, with an assurance that more would be furnished if more men could be raised to bear them.

Since your arrival the prisoners captured at the Post of Arkansas (say 3,000 in number) have been ordered, as soon as they could be prepared for the purpose, to proceed to the command of General Pemberton,