HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
Near Martinsburg, W. Va., September 21, 1862.

Colonel A. C. MYERS, Quartermaster-General, Richmond, Va.:

COLONEL: I desire to call your attention to the great deficiency of clothing in this army (particularly under-clothing and shoes), for the want of which there is much suffering. When in maryland, I am informed by Colonel Corley, there were purchased, through individuals privately, by the Quartermaster's Department, for distribution, some 4,000 or 5,000 pairs of shoes. This was by no means sufficient to supply the men without them, there being at this time at Winchester a camp of 900 men who are not effective because barefooted, and a great many more likewise with the army. The near approach of cold weather rudders it all the more necessary that clothes, and especially underclothing, should be supplied, and I request that y will forward to Winchester, at as early a day as practicable, such a supply of clothing and shoes as it is in the power of the Department under your control to furnish.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
Camp on the Opequon, near Smoketown, September 21, 1862.

Honorable GEORGE W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that Mr. Shriver, purchasing agent of the medical department, reported to me this morning, in pursuance of orders. Although there is not much for him to do at this time, I have thought best to keep him with the medical purveyor of this army for the present. I desire to call you attention to a fact reported to me by Mr. Shriver, which cannot but be injurious to the service. He states that as soon as any place is opened by the retreat of the enemy, before the agents of the Government can purchase such medical stores as it requires, numbers of speculators from Richmond and other places by up everything, to be resold at much higher prices. M. Shriver states that at Fredericksburg he had knowledge of the arrival of at least 60 of this class of persons as soon as the enemy left, and that the same thing is taking place at various places on this frontier, to the injury of the army. I have directed that medical stores found in the possession of such persons within the lines of this army shall be seized and paid for at their cost price. I am informed that these speculators have carried stored purchased under the circumstances I have stated, to Richmond. I have no doubt that a like system of speculation upon the want of our soldiers is carried on in other necessary articles, and prevent persons from coming into places vacated by the enemy with such intentions.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,

Numbers 196.
September 21, 1862.

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II. Brigadier General George H. Steuart, having reported for duty, will proceed to Winchester without delay, and there assume command and