officers charged with it shall be careful "that no person of doubtful honesty or loyalty shall become a member thereof." The object of the order is to band the honest, loyal men of the country, so that they will be prepared to defend themselves against small bands of thieves or rebels and to act only when absolutely necessary for this purpose, so that their property and persons will be protected, and thus cultivate their lands unmolested and secure to them the quiet possession of the means of doing so.

Numerous applications, and in order that all parts of the country should be protected, and not leave districts of country without [protection], and after carefully considering the subject and obtaining the opinion of Union men as to its beneficial effects, and receiving the assurance of their confidence in it, and also receiving the approval of the major-general commanding in one instance, when an application had been made for a local band being organized, and learning the former effects of similar isolated organizations in the district of country within their operations, the order you referred to was issued. You will not forget that I consulted you as to the good or ill effect of the people thus banding together, and that you approved it and instanced Taggart's company, near Rose Hill, who had been able to keep quiet in that part of the country for nearly a year, with only 30 men, who had successfully raised a crop with arms in their hands, when in other portions of the country the people had not been able to do it.

You will also recollect that you stated that Taggart had men in his little band who from their former rebel proclivities you would not have trusted, but that the result had shown that he, Taggart, was right in acting with them, and that your deductions were that the loyal men of such precinct were the best judges of the character of them, and that your deductions were that the loyal men of such precinct were the best judges of the character of the men with whom they would associate in this manner. I have also been informed that last year General Ewing issued a similar order for his (the Third) sub-district, and that you so far approved of it as to organize and command on e of the two companies raised at this place under it. As it is intended in the words of the order to band the "honest, loyal men" in order to protect themselves against the "dishonest and the rebels," it is difficult to understand the motives that prompted the remonstrance against it, as the high character of the paries prevents my believing that they desire to be ranked with either of the latter class.

No order of this kind can be framed so as to meet the approval of all persons, or that will not in some cases meet an active opposition, but so far as I am able to learn the opinions of the people, this is one heartily concurred in, and is producing the best effect in the country, and the active preparations that are being made for tilling their farms. In many cases the people are enthusiastic in its praise. I do not say this in a spirit of egotism, for to you and other loyal men, who prompted it, is due the credit for whatever good effect will result from it, and to whom the people are indebted for the action that is so universally commended and that has been so promptly responded to, as is shown by the large number that have actually organized, there being twenty-seven companies or bands, numbering over 2,000 men, in the sub-district of which your county is a part, already formed.