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benevolence, though we shall still press our application. Meanwhile, I shall try what can be done among the Christian Denominations of the State, nearly all of which have pledged themselves by resolution, to aid the education of the negroes. To this end I have tendered an appointment as Superintendent of schools to Rev John B Taylor, a Baptist-Minister, whose life has been mainly devoted to education, and who was doing what he could to promote schools among the negroes even before I came here. He is well known through the State having been formerly State Superintendent of schools, and came within a few votes of the same position a month ago. He has my proposal under advisement. If he accepts, I will send him out over the State, to see what he can do, and shall hope for good results.

Two men were arrested near here one day last week, who were robbing and disarming negroes upon the highway. The arrest was made by the Provost Marshall's forces. The men represented themselves as in military service, and acting by my order. They afterwards stated, what was probably true, that they belonged to the Macon County Militia. I have procured a military commission, and shall proceed to try them, making the first charge the unlawful assumption of authority. A Habeas Corpus will be served out and taken to the President. I am sorry to give you this trouble but I must enforce upon this people my original proposition, that if they don't do justice, it will be done for them. And it is further desired to convince the local militia,

that stealing clothing, pistols and money under guise of "disarming the negroes", or stealing pistols only, is robbing and will be so dealt with, according to the means we have. There must be "no distinction of color" in the right to carry arms any more than in any other right. When the writ of Habeas Corpus is served, a special communication will be forwarded for presentation to the officer to whom the prisoners' application is referred.

We are in receipt of an order detailing several officers of the Veteran Reserve Corps to report here, and two of the officers have arrived. The re-inforcement is very welcome, and especially needed just at this time, when we are losing some of our best officers by muster-out. Lt Col Collis, who arrived today, will be sent to retire Chaplain Goodfellow, at Huntsville, mustered out of service. He is an excellent officer, who will not stay as a civilian, and with whom I am very sorry to part. In this connection, I am in receipt of Chaplain Goodfellows report upon the application W.T. Clarke, late of Gen Fisk's Staff, returned with your endorsement for my action. In the absence of countervailing proof, the facts stated show that this was in fact a purchase of Government property by an officer in the service. But as Gen Fisk seems disposed to make a personal matter of it, I think the Government would probably lose less by the transaction than by a quarrel in the service, and shall accordingly confirm the sale. The technical question of jurisdiction I of course care nothing about.
We are also in receipt of your telegram of calling for an estimate of Quartermasters Stores for the next six months. It has been prepared and