It is earnestly to be hoped that the facts presented in this paper will forever set at rest the malicious slander so often repeated against the Confederates, by many who are so willing to believe anything against them, of having authorized the use in military warfare of such atrocious and barbarous missiles as "_explosive and poisoned_" musket or rifle balls. H. E. H. BROWNSVILLE, PA., September 1, 1879. Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note, however 'axical' (p. 12), being within a quotation, remains as printed.