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a confidential letter to me. Embrace in this letter also my other subjects to which my attention should be directed and, not properly embraced in your general report.

                                                                               I am, Very respectfully
                                                                                       Your obdt. servant

1 Enclosure. (Sgd.) C. C. Augur Duplicate sent to Brigadier General, U.S.A. Capt. Russell via Jacksboro, Tex. Commanding Official (Sgd) Colon Augur, A. A. A. G. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 159. Hd. Qrs. Dep't. of Texas,

                                                                                         San Antonio, Tex., Febry. 21, 1872.

DUNCAN Commanding Officer Fort Duncan, Texas.

Sir:

                I have had the honor to receive your letter of the 12th inst., in reference to the call for assistance, made upon you by the Collector of Customs at laredo, Texas, and I am instructed by the General Commanding the Department to reply as follows:
                 So far as he knows, there is no law, nor regulation, nor order, defining the duties of the Military toward Revenue officers, not even ordaining any duty at all in connection with them.
                 In a letter dated Febry. 10th, 1870, the Hon. Secretary of the Treasury asks of the War Department "that such military aid be furnished as in its judgement may be practicable, to remedy certain Evils (connected with the collection of customs on the Rio Grande frontier) and to make the revenue to be collected."
                Upon this the Secretary of War endorses;  "that the assistance be furnished, if the military service will admit of it".
                In a letter dated Febry. 1, 1869, the General Commanding the Army instructs the Commanding General Dep't. of Texas, to cause to be given to a Special Agent of the Treasury Department, when necessary in the discharge of his official duties, the assistance and cooperation of the troops in Texas, in protecting the interests of the Revenue, when in his judgment the interest and ability of the military service will justify.
                  From these it must be inferred, that the troops are expected to aid the Revenue officers on the Rio Grande frontier, in the performance of their official duties, whenever a proper occasion arises demanding it, and they are in a condition to do it, without prejudice to military interests.  Of this, the Commd'g Officer called upon, must be the judge.