HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, October 11, 1862.

Brigadier General JUBAL A. EARLY, Commanding, &c.:

(Through General Jackson.)

GENERAL: Your letter of the 9th instant,* in reference to the battery of Captain J. R. Johnson, of General Trimble's brigade, has been received. The order for reorganizing the batteries of this army was sent to General Jackson, as is customary. The necessity for combining the batteries designated in the order has been to me the subject of great regret; but designated in the order has been to me the subject of great regret; but it was done from necessity alone, in order to make the artillery of the army more efficient, and to man and horse those retained. The merit and service of Captain Johnson's company are well known to me, although its connection with the army has been comparatively short. It had been found necessary to send the battery to the rear to be recruited, and the captain had called for 50 additional horses, which could not be supplied. A report as to its condition, as well as the other batteries of the army, was made by the chief of artillery, who, it was supposed, would be acquainted with all the wants of that arm of the service. It will give me pleasure, when circumstances will permit, to do all in my power to restore not only Captain Johnson's battery, but others that have been for the present deranged.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. E. LEE,

General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA, October 11, 1862.

Hon. GEORGE W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

SIR: The reports that have reached me from Richmond of the intended advance of General McClellan's army upon that city induced me to send two reliable scouts to the Potomac, near Alexandria, to ascertain whether any preparations were being made in that quarter. They have returned to-day, having gone down as far as Aquia. They report no enemy in Prince William County, or in the portion of Stafford that they visited, only the ordinary guard-boats on the river, nor could they learn of any concentration or embarkation of troops at Alexandria. General Sigel has his headquarters in the village of Centreville, with the old troops of his command around him. These, however, must be reduced, for, in addition to the newspaper reports of Cox's, Cook's [Crook's], Piatt's, and Milroy's brigades having been taken from him (the last of which is reported to have arrived at Wheeling), a cavalry scout now in Maryland captured a few prisoners from Crook's (late Cox's) brigade en route to Cumberland to take the cars for the Kanawha Valley. There are camps of new troops between Fairfax Court-House and Falls Church, some four or five being in the vicinity of the former place, and active preparations are being made to fit them for the field. Their scouts do not extend of Cub Run, and they seem to be more apprehensive of than prepared for attack. Cavalry scouts are frequently sent in various directions to obtain information, and one on the night of the 8th instant was sent through Brentsville toward the Rappahannock. I can hear nothing of General Heintzelman joining General Sigel, though I believe he is in the vicinity of Washington. If our cavalry has sufficient

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*Not found.

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