pared against any immediate attack, to review your lines of defense, strengthen, improve, and enlarge them, as necessity and opportunity may permit, and apply all your means and use every exertion to the instruction and discipline of your men, and prepare them for hard and active service. With this view, they should be placed at or near the points where their services will be required in case of an attack and be prepared and habituated to the necessities of service. Is the revetment of Fort Norfolk sufficiently protected by earthen-covered ways, and are the parapets of all your redoubts sufficiently thick and high to resist heavy shot and protect the men within? If not, they had better be strengthened and every measure taken to give confidence and

security to the men.

In the fabrication of musket cartridges at this point we are now obliged to use coarse powder for want of musket powder. As you have a large amount of cartridges on hand, you are desires to send ten barrels of musket powder, as soon as possible, to Colonel Dimmock, at this place. Telegraphed to this effect to-day.

Very respectfully, &c.,

R. E. LEE,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS VIRGINIA FORCES,
Richmond, Va., May 12, 1861.

Colonel T. J. JACKSON,

Commanding, &c., Harper's Ferry, Va.:

COLONEL: I have just received your letter of the 11th instant, by Colonel Bennett. I am concerned at the feeling evinced in Maryland, and fear it may extend to other points, besides opposite Shepherdstown. It will be necessary, in order to allay it, that you confine yourself to a strictly defensive course. I presume the points occupied by you at Point of Rocks, Berlin, and Shepherdstown are on our side. I am glad to hear that volunteers are assembling. Over two thousand arms have already been sent to you, and one hastened more have been ordered this evening. If you only expect to receive sufficient volunteers to swell your force to four thousand five hundred men, I do not see how you can require five thousand arms, as you must mow have nearly three thousand armed, besides the three thousand arms, above mentioned, order to you. We have no rifles or cavalry equipments. The latter may use double-barreled shot-guns and buck-shot, if no better arms can be procured. I will see to the quartermaster. I fear no field battery can be sent you besides that now preparing. The Fourth Regiment Alabama troops, from Lynchburg, have gone to you, and I have ordered two others form the same point. Ammunition has also been ordered to you. You know our limited resources, and must abstain from all provocation for attack as long as possible.

I am, &c.,

R. E. LEE,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS VIRGINIA FORCES,
Richmond, Va., may 13, 1861.

Colonel P. ST. GEORGE COCKE,

Commanding Virginia Forces, Hdqrs. Culpeper Court-House, Va.:

COLONEL: I have just received your letter of the 12th instant, and hasten to give such explanation as I can of the circumstances to which