WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,
Richmond,
November 3, 1861.

General A. SIDNEY JOHNSTON, Bowling Green, Ky.:

SIR:
Your letters of 19th and 22nd ultimo have been received. The Department was unwilling under the circumstances to interfere with your action in stopping the supply of blankets at Nashville which had been collected for the army in Virginia, inasmuch as we had luckily succeeded in obtaining a certain number from Europe by the Bermuda with which to replace those detained by you, and which served to supply our troops that were suffering in the mountains.

The President, however, begs that I should urge on you not to permit in your department a system of action which cannon fail to produce the most unfortunate results in every possible aspect of the case. Two of your subordinates have lately assumed the power to interfere with the passage of supplies destined to different points,and have subjected the Government to annoyances and embarrassments that paralyze its best efforts for the common defense. i will state them both: First. General Pillow intercepted a supply of forage, collected with care and for urgent use in Alabama. The result is breaking up of some cavalry forces collected by General Bragg for the cost defenses between Mobile and Pensacola, and bitter and somewhat intemperate remonstrance on the part of some of General Bragg's officers, and an appeal to this Department for censure of General Pillow.

Second. A wagon trains was collected and supplied with clothing, bought and paid for out of an appropriation specially made by Congress for the relief of our suffering brethren in Missouri, who are making so gallant a fight without an exchequer or an organized government. The clothing brought with this particular fund, and specially promised to General Price's forces, was seized by General McCulloch, and distributed amongst his won troops without semblance of authority, and, so far as I am informed, without even stress of necessity.

To you, general, comment is unnecessary on such proceedings. They render the administration of the affairs of this Department on any systematical plan absolutely impossible. It was in this same spirit ( that seems to have seized upon many of our leaders) that General Lovell sent a special messenger to Nashville for a supply of powder after I had refused to furnish any more to New Orleans until I had received some account of what had become of a large supply sent there within the last thirty days.

Our means are inadequate to furnish everywhere all that is required. We divide out to the best of our ability, as fairly as possible, according to the exigencies of the service, such supplies as we can command. This equitable system cam only be conducted from one common head. Let me pray you to give such instructions to your subordinates as shall put an end to this reprehensible practice, and trust me that you shall have to the utmost extent of my power every possible facility and aid in the accomplishment of your arduous takes in defending so vast a frontier as that which has been confided to you.

Your want of arms is felt by us as severely as by yourself. I have news of a cargo from Liverpool that must be off the coast just at this time, and we are all most eagerly looking out for it. If the steamer succeeds in running the blockade safely I may be able to send you some 10,000 stands of arms, and thus put you at once on a footing to enable you to commence active operations.

The President has appointed Humphrey Marshall a brigadier-general, to take command of the forces collecting at Prestonburg. He goes with arms enough for a regiment, with a regiment of Virginians that is to join him at Christiansburg, and still another will be with him in a few days. This will, we hope, suffice as a nucleus to hold together the forces now at Prestonburg and on the eve of dispersing, as we are informed, and enable Colonel Williams to succeed in uniting two or three regiments more, thus forming a force sufficient to prevent the enemy from passing into Southwestern Virginia by the Pound Gap. General Marshall will, of course, report to you. I forgot to say that we have given him also a battery of six field pieces. The President has also given to HonorableJ. C. Breckinridge a commission as brigadier-general, with orders to report to you, so that he may take command of one of your two brigades of Kentuckians at Bowling Green. Colonel Preston has not been appointed a general. He may be taken on your staff, if you wish, or he will be appointed colonel to raise a regiment, or will be assigned as colonel to a regiment if you have companies enough to be now organized into a regiment.

I hope you have not brought the horses you speak of for Terry's regiment with the public money. There is no act of Congress allowing it, and the accounts cannot be passed without a special law for that purpose. When Terry went to Texas to collect his regiment he was informed by the President in the most explicit manner that no cavalry could be accepted without their furnishing their own horses. Congress allows forty cents a day for the use and risk of a horse and pays for such as are killed, but had invariably refused to furnish horses for cavalry. When Terry's regiment received leave to go to you instead of coming to Virginia, it was because we were led to believe that horses would be furnished them by subscriptions in Tennessee; but the expression of your letter makes me fear that you have ordered the purchase with public funds, and this could be very unfortunate. The money for your supplies shall be, as you desire, deposited in bank in Nashville, but we cannot for the present send you gold.

In regard to your suggestions about some relaxation of the commercial restrictions on the interchange of products with Kentucky, I beg to say that the subject has already engaged the attention of the administration, but it is one on which there exists so much diversity of opinion and so much doubt in relation to the views of Congress, that we prefer to wait a few weeks and receive our instructions from the wisdom of our lawgivers.

Your views in relation to the present condition of Kentucky and to the course to be pursued in relation to the taxes by her legislature appear to me eminently just; but this letter has already reached such an extreme length, and the pressure on my time and attention is such, that I must defer further remark, as well as a reply to your suggestions about the appointment of officers, to another occasion, and remain, your obedient servant,

J. P. BENJAMIN,
Acting Secretary of War.

P. S.- If you can use secret-service money to sufficient advantage to justify its expenditure, I will place to your credit in the Treasury, and subject to your check, such moderate amount as you may deem necessary.