the Navy, he entirely approves of this; but your order seems to be required. I can attend to all field artillery and foot troops, but wish the heavy guns and their ammunition to be under the Navy Department.

If it be intended to give me an experienced officer to aid me in the Ordnance Department, please do so, but give him a rank beyond that of captain, as if he experienced he should rank higher than captain. The call for ammunition has been and is yet great. I hope none will be wasted, for we have none to spare. As it now is, General Richardson, adjutant-general, gives the orders for the issues-carefully, I know, but he is importuned excessively. Some assistance, I think, should be given him. Pardon this suggestive communication.

I have the honor to be, yours, very respectfully,

C. DIMMOCK,

Colonel of Ordnance.

HEADQUARTERS VIRGINIA FORCES,
Richmond, Va., April 28, 1861.

Colonel THOMAS J. JACKSON,

Virginia Volunteers, Commanding Harper's Ferry, Va.:

COLONEL: The major-general commanding instructs me to direct you to cause all the arms from the Harper's Ferry Arsenal, now in the hands of the militia and citizens serving at that point, to be returned to you, except such s may be in the hands of those who volunteer and shall be mustered into service by you under your instructions of yesterday. As soon as practicable you are instructed to report here the number and condition of the arms so returned.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. S. GARNETT,

Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS POTOMAC DEPARTMENT,
Culpeper Court-House, Va., April 28, 1861-12.30 p. m.

General LEE, Commander-in-Chief, Richmond, Va.:

Having completed the requisite arrangements at Alexandria, and succeeded in informing myself of the actual state of things at that outpost of my command, in sight of the enemy, I proceeded this morning, by the 7 o'clock train, accompanied by the assistant adjutant-general, my aide, and secretary, towards this place, which I reached at 10 a. m., and where I propose, for some time to come, to establish my headquarters. I left all quiet and composed at Alexandria, where by my presence, during the suddenly augmented flow of Northern vandalism through Annapolis, I was so fortunate as to avert alarm and panic.

Intelligence first reached me, ever finding a solution through my knowledge of and confident fait in the existing status, not immediately, in my opinion, threatened to be overthrown, so long as there is nothing more than a mere persistence in a course on the part of the enemy, long ago initiated, and even now only intensified and strengthened; thus solving, as I did, the thousand sensations, rumors, and accounts that poured in upon me during my whole stay in Alexandria.

I have been enabled to infuse the same confidence into the minds of the leading citizens of the place, to have secured their confidence, and to