bartow telegraphed the news to his georgia troops, arranging a prompt rally. however, his plans were blocked by governor brown, who had already decided to concentrate the state's armed forces strictly for the defense of georgia. bartow appealed personally to the confederate president, jefferson davis, using a new law authored by louis t. wigfall of texas that authorized any citizen to offer any voluntary military force directly, without state mediation, to the confederate president, who would also determine its military leader. davis immediately approved bartow's plan and designated him the commander of the new confederate force, making bartow's oglethorpe light infantry the first company to officially contribute its services to the confederacy's national war effort.