forcements to Suffolk, obliging me to fall back to my second line, which I have done.

Any dependence, therefore, upon me, so far as Newport News is concerned, is at an end.

Wishing you every success, I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. BANKHEAD MAGRUDER,

Major-General, Commanding.

RICHMOND, March 4, 1862.

Major-General MAGRUDER, Yorktown:

Get 5,000 men and two batteries ready to be thrown across the river as soon as possible. By order of the President. I write to-day.

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT PENINSULA,
Yorktown, March 4, 1862.

Brigadier General LAFAYETTE McLAWS,

Custis' Farm:

SIR: I am instructed by the commanding general to inform you that he received a dispatch from the Secretary of War this morning, directing him to send forthwith 5,000 troops to Suffolk, and that he has already given verbal orders for the movement on Thursday to King's Mill of Cobb's Legion, Sixteenth Georgia, and Fifty-third Virginia, and the Second Louisiana and Fifteenth North Carolina on Friday. You will give orders to Colonel Hodges, Fourteenth Virginia, to move early on Friday to King's Mill wharf with all his regiment except the company in charge of the four pieces of artillery. He will take with him his tents, five days' rations, as few cooking utensils as possible, his ammunition, and 20 spades, and axes, turning over the remainder of the same, besides whatever picks and shovels he may have, to the acting quartermaster of the Fifth Louisiana Volunteers, and taking receipt for the same.

You will direct Moseley's battery to proceed also on Thursday early to King's Mill and embark for Suffolk, Va., by way of City Point.

The commanding general desires that these orders be given verbally and kept as secret as possible.

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

HENRY BRYAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE PENINSULA,
Yorktown, March 4, 1862.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General C. S. Army, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: If 5,000 men are taken from this Peninsula and the enemy should advance in force I fear I will be compelled to leave Yorktown to defend itself with a small garrison, the covering work at Mulberry Island with one regiment to defend it, and that with the rest of