Item description: Letter, 15 August 1862, from Edward White, Assistant Adjutant General of Clingman’s Brigade, to Col. John Kerr Connally, 55th Regiment North Carolina Troops, giving the authority to arrest deserters.

Item citation: From folder 2 of the T. L. Clingman Papers, #157, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Item transcription:

August 15th 1862

Col.

I send you today the authority desired by you for arresting deserters from your Regt. Respecting your request to be allowed to order back to duty, men over thirty five years of age discharged by the Governor – the Genl. Cmdg. cannot grant the authority without first knowing your reasons for thinking they were not rightfully discharged.

The laws of the Confederate States require that exemptions or discharges from Regiments from any state made by the State authorities before the Regiments are turned over to the Conf. States – shall be respected.

This, it is supposed, is the case with the discharges from your Regiment, hence the Governors action cannot be interferred with.

I am Col. Very Respectfully Your Obt. Servt.
Edward White
AAAG

Col. Connally
55th Regt. NCT
through Col. Wimbish