CHAP.XII.] CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-CONFEDERATE.

communication so precarious, I consider it best to address you front this point. I shall repeat my letter when upon the theater of my command.

Of the general condition of things on the eastern frontier you are probably already better advised than I am. I understand in general terms that Colonel John S. Williams has succeeded in mustering some 600 or 700 men into the Confederate service, and that there are, in all, collected at that place some 2,000 Kentucky people; but of these many act in their own behalf and do not enter the service. My authority to muster troops into the service is estimated to be ample by the orders I have received from the Adjutant-General. Those orders contemplated the immediate use of two Virginia regiments (Trigg's and Moore's), and one battery of four pieces, commanded by Captain Jeffress, of Virginia. But I have been surprised to find that Moore's regiment has no arms nor ammunition, camp equipage nor transportation, to give the expected mobility toil, and how long before these will be furnished I cannot guess. The battery is yet here, one of the caissons not having come up from Lynchburg, but I hope it will be able to move to-morrow. I have ordered Colonel Trigg to move from Christiansburg, but am not advised that he has done so up to this moment.

I shall proceed on my journey in the morning, though the officers of my staff have not arrived. Thomas Hawkins is in your own camp at Bowling Green. I wish you would communicate to him my expectation that he shall report to me as aide as soon as practicable.

I am, general, your obedient servant,

HUMPHREY MARSHALL, Brigadier-General, C. S. Army.

NASHVILLE, November 5, 1861.

General A. SIDNEY JOHNSTON:

DEAR SIR: Inclosed you will find a requisition for 60 axes and halves for your approval. Major Gilmer and Captain Dixon ordered an abatis to be made to protect the rear at Fort Donelson on the cumberland, and we have not a sufficient number of axes. I reached here this morning, and will return to the fort on Thursday. I wrote to General Polk by Captain Dixon to send one well armed drilled regiment to Fort Donelson at once. We have there now Colonel Forrest's command of cavalry, one company of light artillery, with a battery of seven guns and a sufficient amount of heavy guns. I also have five companies of infantry tolerably armed, but not so well drilled as I would like, having been in camp only a short time. General Polk ordered Colonel Thornton's Mississippi regiment to this post, but for some cause they did not reach there.

The people in the counties of Trigg and Lyon, in Kentucky, are calling on us every day for protection, and I think we are losing ground in that region simply because they are overawed by gunboats and small parties that come out from Smithland and steal everything that they can lay their hands upon. Please send the requisitions back to Major V. K. Stevenson as soon as possible.

Yours, very respectfully,

R. W. MAcGAVOCK, Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding at Fort Donelson.

HUNSTVILLE, November 5, 1861.

General A. SINDNEY JOHNSTON:

A dispatch just received from Secretary of War directs me to move my troops to Pensacola and Mobile, where they will be temporarily