The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 4, Volume 3. Page: 76
viii, 1245 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.
CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,
Richmond, Va., February 4, 1864.
General E. K. SMITH:
GENERAL: This will be handed you by Judge L. W. Hastings, late
of California, who has received from the President a commission as
major to raise troops in Arizona, and been authorized to proceed' in
the execution of the plan for the recruitment of troops in California
or Arizona, and the occupation of the latter as far as practicable,
which was referred by you to the consideration of the Department.*
It is not contemplated to expend in the scheme a larger sum of money
than can be conveniently raised by the exportation of some few hun-
dred bales of cotton into Mexico, which will be managed by Major
Hart or some other officer you may intrust with the duty. With the
proceeds, which should be enough to furnish Major Hastings with
some $10,000 or $12,000 in specie funds, and likewise to forward from
the port in Mexico the recruits who may be induced to engage in the
enterprise to some rendezvous in Arizona, Major Hastings and a dis-
bursing officer, to be selected by yourself, will go to the selected port.
There the disbursing officer will remain on some plausible pretext,
while Major Hastings will proceed to California. He is confident of
his ability to engage 500 or more men, ostensibly as miners, to come
out, armed and equipped at their own expense, and to report to the
officer left in Mexico, on the pledge that they will be paid for their
arms and equipments and forwarded to the point of rendezvous.
They should, of course, preserve throughout the character of a min-
ing association and be careful to do no act violative of neutrality with
Mexico, or to so muster and collect as to raise the suspicions of the
emissaries of the enemy who may be in Mexico. When assembled in
sufficient numbers they will proceed to Arizona and commence their
operations for the seizure and occupation of the country. It would
be well if men were procured freely from California that some able
and enterprising officer of superior rank to Major Hastings should be
selected and sent by you to command the expedition. Meantime,
when men begin to dome in from California so as to afford a reason-
able prospect of success, a selected few of them, or some other special
agents acquainted with Arizona, should be sent forward into that
Territory to engage co-operation and prepare the friends of the South
for action at the proper time. I must rely on you to select the proper
assistants and officers in this matter, or to commit it to some officer
on whom you can rely. I should be pleased if a gentleman of the
known character and spirit of Judge Terry would undertake its guid-
ance. While the loyalty and general intelligence of Major Hastings
are appreciated, it is felt that he has little military experience, and is
rather to be relied on to recruit and get men from California than to
conduct and execute the whole plan.
You will give to Major Hastings full instructions as to his course
of procedure. I cannot well do so without knowing how far you can
command means and may deem it advisable to unite others with him
in the performance of his proposed duties. Well conducted, I believe
the plan expedient and feasible, but much must depend on the discre-
tion, intelligence, and enterprise of the selected agent.
Very truly, yours,
JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War.
* See proposition of Hastings, Series I, Vol. L, Part II, p. 721.76
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United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 4, Volume 3., book, 1900; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139262/m1/85/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.