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760 Documents XXI. Wm. E. Hayne to James H. Hammond. Charleston Jan^ 14. 1833 CoL° James H. Hammond, Dear Sir By the order of the Governor I have sent by the Stage, a Package addressed to yourself, to the care of Angus Patterson Esquire, Barnwell Court House, containing twelve Copies of the " Abstract of Military Tac- tics. " Hoyt's Cavalry Tactics have already been furnished to Major Dunbar. Very Respectfully Your mo. ob. Serv' Wm. Ed. Hayne .Aso'. Adj. and Inspr. Gen'. xxii. Robert Y. Ha^-e to James H. Hammond. Charleston 18'." Janf 1833. Sir. My last letter on the subject of Minute men was induced by informa- tion that in some of the districts they had been so organized as to take all the officers and most of the efficient men of certain l^oltintcer corps, so as to leave the latter without the moral or physical force necessary to their efficiency. My scheme was in the main that which you have indicated, — the preparation of a select corps, composed of the elite of the several Districts who would on an emergency be thrown instantly on any given point, — the use to be made of them to depend upon circumstances. I was aware that such troops would not be the most efficient for long con- tinued service, and therefore designed that the iiumber should be limitted, say to about 100 in each District, say 2800 in the whole State, which in an emergency would give us from 2000 to 2500 men, that could be in- stantly thrown upon a given point. I do not think this number of such troops would be too great. But it is upon the regularly organized vol- unteer corps that we would have to rely in any protracted warfare, and the object of my last letter was to impress upon you that these were not to be suffered to he broken up. The arrangements in the different districts, however, must be made in some degree to bend to local circumstances, and therefore you will consider yourself at liberty to pursue a sound dis- cretion in this matter, provided only you secure not only the prompt at- tendance of 100 Minute men from Barnwell Dist. whenever called for, but take care that the efficiency of the other Volunteer Companies be not im- paired. What I should desire would be as far as may be practicable to have 100 minute men composed of Gentlemen who keep horses, who would not in general probably be members of other Volunteer Infantry or Rifle Corps. As to Cavalry, they are or ought to be minute men from the nature of their employment. All the rest of the Militia I should be glad to see organized into Volunteer Corps. Should I want instantly 1000