In the absence of immediate and satisfactory apology, your letters will be forwarded to the Secretary of War.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

JAMES Y. SMITH,

Governor of Rhode Island.

A true copy.

N. L. JEFFRIES,

Colonel, Veteran Reserve Corps.

OFFICE ACTG. ASST. PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,

Providence, R. I., December 24, 1864.

His Excellency the Honorable JAMES Y. SMITH,

Governor of Rhode Island, Providence, R. I.:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date.

Having already disclaimed any intention to be discourteous to Your Excellency, I would say that I am always ready, as I have been, to show all courtesy to any of Your Excellency's staff with whom I may be brought in contact either officially or personally.

I do not consider any part of my communication as giving advice. Your Excellency asked for an explanation in your communication of the 23rd instant, and in my reply of this morning I simply called the attention of Your Excellency to what I am instructed is proper in official correspondence.

With his explanation of both of my communications, I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,

H. NEIDE,

Lieutenant Colonel 13th V. R. C., Actg. Asst. Prov. March General

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S BUREAU,

Washington, D. C., February 3, 1865.

A true copy.

N. L. JEFFRIES,

Colonel, Veteran Reserve Corps.

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Providence, December 26, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel HORACE NEIDE,

Acting Assistant Provost-Marshal-General, Providence:

SIR: Your communication of the 23rd [24th] instant will be deemed in this case sufficient to relieve me from the unpleasant necessity of forwarding your letters to Washington.

Your instructions as to the requirements of official correspondence may serve for your own official guidance, but will not be considered authoritative in mine, especially when the heads and subordinates of the several bureaus of the War Department address the executive of the State "by direction," without stating "by order" of whom. My staff certainly commit to breach of courtesy in addressing a subordinate of the War Department in a similar manner.

When, in a State like Rhode Island, every effort is being made to furnish me to the National Government in its urgent necessity, and