HEADQUARTERS FIRST ARMY CORPS,
March 9, 1865.

Major General G. W. C. LEE,

Commanding, &c., Chaffin's:

On the 15th of December last General Longstreet requested General Ewell to make arrangements to have the space in front of his lines lighted up by fire-balls, or such other means as the trough best, in the event of a night attack. Can you inform me whether the arrangements for that purpose have been made?

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

O. LATROBE,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DIVISION,
March 9, 1865.

Major R. P. DUNCAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

MAJOR: I regret to have to report nine desertions from Wallace's brigade to the enemy. All quiet.

Very respectfully, yours,

B. R. JOHNSON,

Major-General.

BUREAU OF SUBSISTENCE,

Richmond, Va., March 10, 1865

General I. M. ST. JOHN, Commissary-General:

GENERAL: The following memorandum is based upon the lines of communication in Virginia being at once restored and protected, and independent of voluntary contributions; also upon the ability of the Treasury to meet the requisitions of this Department, and the Quarter-master-General to provide the necessary transportation for the stores when purchased and collected. With gold or United States currency to operate with (in sections of the country where Confederate money is not current or acceptable), I am satisfied the estimate made could be doubled-in other words, the subsistence necessary for the troops operations in Virginia and North Carolina is only limited by the amount of specie and Confederate money available for its purchase.

The crops south of North Carolina, in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, were never so large, and with the railroad communications restored could at once be made available, although not included in the estimate.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. B. FRENCH,

Major and commissary of Subsistence.

From North Carolina: Rations bread, 7,500,000; rations meat, 6,000,000. From Virginia: Rations bread, 5,000,000; rations meat, 5,500,00O. Total-rations bread, 12,500,000; rations meat, 11,500,000. With the loss of the Central railroad and the James River Canal, we must deduct, 2,000,000 rations meat and 3,000,000 rations bread.

N. B.-With East Tennessee in our possession and protected as far as Morristown, and local transportation to haul the supplies, 15,000,000 rations of bread and 5,000,000 rations of meat may be add to the above.

82 R R-VOL XLVI, PTII