Brandenburg
July 6^th 1864

D^r Sir The object of my letter to the Gov^r was to ascertain whether a small band of citizens could be organised at public expense to do independent local duty & to be subject to the order of no One but their mean partisan leader such a troop could be improvised here within a few days but no Company could be had of state Guards Our experence has been that as fast as a man gets under the Control of general authority he is needed at Louisville or Lexington as on a Rail Road & that is the last that is seen of him until he is killed or dies or is discharged to come home & ever thereafter busy himself in doging bands of neighbourhood marauders who hold as permanent empire here abouts as that of the state Cabinet at Frankfort. The truth is I [...] not had any thing like a state Guard it never did guard anything and never can What could any bodies guard do in this thickett- damnted region — of course the efficient man must operate in the breaks where he

was cradled, he is then even handed with the miscreants he is hunting They must also know of themselves those who harbour, the Guerilla, they must. know his habits, & connexions in fact must be turned loose as free as the winds to give him War on his own terms, with the privilege to scatter of need be fish berries to stop them from making Guerillas, The infernal Devils will within a month shoot every loyal man in this region or take him & swear him not to oppose them or devulged upon them It seems to me a Commonwealth is about in its last throes when its citizens may not even utter a syllable of loyalty, without expecting to hear a Gun crack — No troops can be got for state or Federal service You can enforce no draft for either service who is to serve notices of a draft or collect up the men drafted it cant be done here — I have to announce that no State Guard can be induced to volunteer here, and they are to poor to arm & equip themselves & loose their time from labour, so as to get up a sure barrier to the public enemy.

I shall endeavour still to get

some one to go in only the state Guard plan, but from all I see I will have to say that whoever undertakes it must subsists & provide the arms &^ctherefor the men as he gets them up & if he feels in the requisite number, must disband & loose his expense, for the Legislature would not pay the Lords anointed for a new atonement if it were ascertained that the old one had worn out.

obt^ly &^c J. Stuarts

Wont we have fine healthy & loyal elections in August, when all the shffs are Davis men what a time his parasites wil have in getting for him the revenues of the state & then in Nov^r we will pick up the richest squad of Electors as for me I take it our expectancy is a lively hope of a speedy interest in death hell & the Grave.

Stuart.

D W Lindsey
Inspect. Gen^l Ky-

Ky State Guard
Brandenburg. Meade Co. Ky.
July 6^th 1864

Says the object of his former communication was merely to enquire if a body of citizens could be armed &^c at the expense of the State and then act as an independent scout subject to the orders only of their partisan leader. Gives the reasons why their should be such an organization — urges objections against the State Guards &c

Ansd page 501 Ltr BK A

Rec. I. G. O. July 9^th 1864