HEADQUARTERS,
Charleston, S. C., December 13, 1861.

General D. S. DONELSON,

Commanding Third Brigade Tenn. Vols., Charleston, S. C.:

GENERAL: The general commanding directs that you should proceed with your brigade to Coosawhatchie, S. C., as soon as the quartermaster at this place (Major H. Lee) can furnish you with the necessary transportation. Directions have already been given to him to that effect.

Very respectfully, &c.,

T. A. WASHINGTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CHARLESTON, S. C., December 16, 1861.

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

SIR: Your letter of the 8th instant, forwarded from Coosawhatchi, has just been received. Two of the batteries (Thornton's and Leake's) and two of the regiments (Fulton's and Savage's) mentioned in your letter have arrived. I hope the others named will be dispatched without delay.

I have notified Governors Pickens and Brown that unless they had troops from their States "for the war" ready to receive the arms at my disposal, I should issue them to regiments from other States that have offered themselves for service in this department. On being informed by General Lawton that he had been advised by Governor Brown that he had none from Georgia, I directed him to arm the Mississippi regiment (Colonel Dowd). On the application of General Trapier for re-enforcements, having no other regiment available, I have directed General Lawton to send the Mississippi regiment to Fernandina, where they have only 1,300 men.

The Mississippi regiment, with some Georgia companies that have been mustered into the Confederate States service for the war, will absorb all the arms intended for Georgia troops. There are several companies in this State organized for the war, recently raised, and unarmed, attached to Colonels Orr's and Dunovant's regiments, that will require so many arms, as not to leave more than sufficient for one regiment. If a regiment is not furnished by South Carolina, I will received either Colonel Mitchell's of Colonel C. C. Lee's regiment from North Carolina. The latter officer is a graduate of the West Point Academy, and I believe before his receipt resignation was in the Ordnance Corps. He served in Virginia as Lieutenant-colonel of Colonel Hill's regiment, North Carolina Volunteers.

Could more arms be had for the troops for the war, as I believe, there would be no difficulty in procuring men. There is great need of more heavy guns, but knowing the constant demand in every section of the country for arms and ammunition, hesitate to make requisitions. If, however, twenty could be spared for this department they would be of great benefit - 8 or 10 inch guns, 42 and 32 pounders, for water defense, and 8-inch howitzer, 24-pounder of less, for land defense.

The land defenses around the city, commencing on the coast aside of James Island, extending to Wappoo Creek, thence to Ashley River, across the neck between Ashley and Cooper, and from the branch through Christ Church Parish to the sound, and in good state of progress, and