E. Kirby Smith to Pendleton Murrah, March 31, 1864

No 2497

Hd. Qrs. Trans-Miss. Dept.
Shreveport, La., March 31st 1864.

His Excellency
P. Murrah
Governor of the State of Texas:

Sir,

The enemy have
massed all their forces, and are moving in
two heavy columns, up the Red River Valley
and across the State of Arkansas.

I shall do my utmost in my power with
with the means at my disposal, to check and
destroy both columns. It is my duty to
advise you that your State, especially in
its Northern Section, is threatened with
immediate invasion: that the means at
my disposal are comparatively small and
inadequate, and I urge upon you the ne-
cessity of putting immediately every
armed man in Texas into the field.

The force at the disposal of Genl.
Magruder, the District Commander of
Texas was weakened and reduced at
least one half by the extraordinary