HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PENINSULA,
Lee's Farm, April 11, 1862.

Colonel JOHN A. WINSTON,

Wynn's Mill:

SIR: I am instructed by Major-General Magruder to direct you to send out skirmishers at once, to discover the position of the enemy. A similar movement is directed to be made all along our front.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

HENRY BRYAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE PENINSULA,
ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Lee's Farm, near Lee's Mill, April 11, 1862.

PROCLAMATION.

To the Citizens of the Peninsula and south side of James River:

McClellan, at the head of 100,000 men, is threatening our whole line. To meet this force successfully our main reliance is to be placed upon breastworks. Soldiers cannot be expected to work night and day and fight besides.

Our negro force now at work on fortifications is too small to accomplish this object before the enemy may attempt to carry us by assault, when it will be beyond the power of all the force in the country to remedy that which earlier could have been effected with a slight additional assistance.

Under these circumstances I am sure that no patriotic citizen, with the issue truly at heart, would hesitate to respond most cheerfully to the call which I now make, viz, one negro man, with his ax or spade, to be furnished at once by each proprietor. Without the most liberal assistance in axes, spades, and hands to work we cannot hope to succeed, and the Northern army will be in possession of your farms in a few days.

Mr. Junius Lamb is my authorized agent to receive the negroes. Send them at once, under overseer, to Colonel Ewell, at Williamsburg.

J. BANKHEAD MAGRUDER,

Major-General, Commanding.

YORKTOWN, April 12, 1862.

Honorable GEORGE W. RANDOLPH:

SIR: I request that the Secretary of the Navy be instructed to inform me what orders have been given to the officer commanding the Virginia, in order that I may be governed by her movements. She will best subserve the interests of the service by remaining where she is. If she remains I can move field guns from Jamestown Island to the front. I esteem it highly important that the Teazer be immediately furnished with a rifled gun and stationed in the Swash Channel below Mulberry Island Point. If she were there, supported by two gunboats or James River tugs, with long-range guns stationed at intervals, their combined fire would sweep Mulberry Island and prevent the enemy from crossing Warwick River. This would possibly strengthen my right flank. It would [do] away with the necessity of the works at Minor's farm.

J. BANKHEAD MAGRUDER,

Major-General.