Executive Department,
Milledgeville, Ga., May 15, 1861.
Hon. L. P. Walker,
Secretary of War, Montgomery, Ala.:
Sir: Having received conflicting information as to the terms upon which State volunteer troops will be received into the service of the Confederate States, I respectfully request you to give me by letter, as soon as convenient, definite and explicit information on the subject. I am led to make inquiry in this way because from the unequivocal tenor of your dispatches of a few days since I was under the impression that none but volunteers for the war would be received, and to-day I have been shown a letter from the Secretary of one of the Departments at Montgomery, stating that the late act is not construed there as requiring all tenders of service to be for the war, but that it is considered only cumulative, and does not repeal the old act, under which troops were received for one year, and that recruits for one year may be received into the service still, while under the last act they may be received for during the war. I beg to be informed if this is so, can volunteers still be received into the service, regardless of or under the late law, for the term of one year.
In accordance with the unequivocal import of your late telegram that the term of service would hereafter be in all cases for the war, I issued a circular notice of this fact to all the organized volunteer companies in the State, stating to them that their former tenders of service, having been made for the term of one year only, had become void by the supposed extension of the term of service, and that if they still desired service they must renew the tender for the war. To this order several companies, being anxious for service, have already responded, renewing their tenders for during the war. While it may be reasonable to expect that, although the term of service may be restricted to during the war, our volunteers will with alacrity respond to whatever calls the Confederate Government shall make, through the Executive, upon Georgia for troops, provided twelve-months’ volunteers are not accepted also—if this be the case it is apprehended that no companies will volunteer for the war if others are allowed to enter the service for one year only. I must confess that the conflicting information upon this subject which has reached me has tended in no small degree to embarrass my operations in receiving tenders of service from the companies of the State, and it has been a source of perplexity and annoyance to the volunteers themselves. If troops will be received for twelve months, then I have no hopes of obtaining any for a longer term of service, or a very few at most. If none are to be accepted for a term less than for the war, then I think as many can be had for that term of service as will be required of Georgia. An early reply is respectfully solicited.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully , your obedient servant,
JOSEPH E. BROWN.