“DALTON, Jan. 4th, 1864.
“My dear Wigfall:
“It is necessary to recruit this army promptly to enable it to hold its ground against Grant’s forces. Remember that it was unable to move forward even before it had been weakened by the defeat of Missionary Ridge, and Longstreet’s march into East Tennessee, and the enemy strengthened by his victory and 25,000 men brought from Mississippi by Sherman.
“I propose to substitute slaves for all soldiers employed out of the ranks—on detached service, extra duty, as cooks, engineers, laborers, pioneers, or any kind of work. Such details for this little army amount to more than 10,000 men. Negroes would serve for such purposes, better than soldiers. The impressment of negroes has been practiced ever since the War commenced—but we have never been able to keep the impressed negroes with an army near the enemy. They desert. If you can devise and pass a law to enable us to hold slaves or other negroes with armies, this one can, in a few weeks, be increased by the number given above—of soldiers—not conscripts. Is not this worth trying? We require promptness here and this is the only prompt way of sending us soldiers. The proposed modifications of the conscript law are good, but then operations cannot help us in the present emergency. The plan is simple and quick. It puts soldiers and negroes each in his appropriate place; the one to fight, the other to work. I need not go into particulars in this matter. You understand it as well as I. Now do apply your energy and zeal to it. There is no other mode by which this army can be recruited before spring—and there is no other so good as this. Speak to General Sparrow and Mr. Miles for me on this subject. I would write to them both but am so pressed for time as to be unable to do so.
“As ever yours,
“J. E. JOHNSTON.”