John Bankhead Magruder to Pendleton Murrah, March 31, 1864

do its duty. Astern and inflexible
course in support of uncompromising dis-
cipline is the only means by which either
your Excellency or myself can succeed in
having every man to perform his duty, and
in maintaining public order.

The Northern District of Texas, I am
informed from all quarters, is in a deplo-
rable and most dangerous state[.] Newspa-
pers from want of means, have been there
discontinued, and the only intelligence they
receive is that industriously propagated by
the enemies of our cause. It is even
thought they contemplate forming a separate
State Government[.] When Banks shall
have succeeded in Louisiana & Arkansas in
organizing a state government, it will in
my opinion be easy for him to do so in
Northern Texas. I have provided for the
speedy establishment of one or two Newspapers
in that region, but the remedy is the
rigid enforcement of the Conscript law, and
the occupation of the Country by troops
from other parts of Texas, and there is
no other remedy. I have written your
Excellency several letters on this subject lately
because from my position perhaps I feel
the pressure of circumstances involving dan-