HEADQUARTERS ARTILLERY CORPS, Petersburg, March 17, 1865.

Lieutenant-Colonel KING, or

Major McLAUGHLIN,
Commanding Arty. Batt., near Dublin Depot, Lynchburg and Tenn. R. R.:

Break up your winter quarters and proceed without delay to Lynchburg with men, horses, and transportation essential for their use, leaving remaining transportation to be employed as heretofore near the depot. Report to Colonel Nelson at Lynchburg and obey his orders. Communicate these instructions to your department commander.

By command of General Lee:

W. N. PENDLETON,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Artillery.

Lieutenant Colonel W. H. TAYLOR,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

COLONEL: Colonel Carter telegraphs me that, as King's [McLaughlin's] battalion is now in another department, General Lee's order will be necessary to remove him. I therefore send up the above memorandum of an order for him, which, if the general approves, I will get you to telegraph to Dublin. Colonel Carter will give special instructions to Colonel Nelson. The transportation left at Dublin is to haul forage to the depot.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. N. PENDLETON,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Artillery.

RICHMOND, March 17, 1865.

General W. N. PENDLETON:

GENERAL: I suggest that the order to McLaughlin be sent him before General Early takes command in West Virginia. He will hardly allow troops of any arm to leave his department after he reaches it. General Long thinks that an order from General Lee [or by his command given by yourself] is necessary to move McLaughlin to Fort Clifton, as the battalion is now in a different department. He is probably correct in this opinion. No objection was made to the exchange for Cutshaw; on the contrary, General Long thought well of the plan. Braxton is anxious about his affairs and I have advised him to see you. At the same time I wish him to learn from you or Colonel Baldwin the number and caliber of any guns that may not be appropriated. I have seen Colonel Cole and he is willing to give me every aid in his power. It is necessary before sending out the officers to have a requisition approved by yourself for the number required. I do not know the exact number, not having access to the battery and battalion commands, but presume it will be 350 or 400. Colonel Cole does not issue this number from what he has on hand but allows his impressing agents, assisted by the officers from each battalion whom I wish to send, to obtain them if possible. I should like permission to send an officer from each battery for the purpose of assisting the impressing agents in finding and caring for the horses. Carpenter already has an order to this effect. Please let Major Page make out a requisition as above called for, approve, and send it by Colonel Braxton to-morrow. I learn that only five ordnance wagons were captured; the rest are near the North Carolina line not far from the Danville railroad. I suppose I can use these to forage my command and order the quartermaster to