you desire it. If you will advance upon Gauley, I will amuse the enemy in front upon this road.

Very respectfully,

HENRY A. WISE,

Brigadier-General.

Brigadier-General FLOYD, Commanding, &c.

CAMP NEAR HAWK'S NEST, VA.,

September 5, 1861.

GENERAL: Yours of August 31 was received last evening. It is very gratifying to me to receive the approbation with which you commend my humble command, an particularly coming from you; but, sir, pardon me for saying that it does not meet my complaint that I am continually harassed with orders to do nothing but hard marching, to no end or purpose but to distract and dishearten all independent effort and action of my Legion. Before I was marched to Carnifix, to march back again under orders which were changed four time sin forty-eight hours, and after every appointment of co-operation essential to safety and success had been counteracted by General Floyd, precisely the same wrong has been repeated. On the 31st ultimo General Floyd informed me that the enemy had abandoned Gauley Bridge, and were then advancing upon him, and said if this information was correct I should send him my strongest regiment to the top of the hill, near Gauley, with a good battery, so as to be perfectly in each of him in case of need; and that I should at once advance with the remainder of my command and take possession of the camp at the mouth of the Gauley. He asked me also to send him two companies of efficient cavalry (his had been cut to pieces, under Colonel Jenkins, interfering with my immediate command, and he had sent them to Greenbrier recruiting, and was measurably without dragoon force, though I had sent him 100 troopers already). Such was the order of the morning of that day.

On the same day, at 5 p. m., I received from him another note, dated at 12 noon, saying that he had received information through scouts that the enemy were advancing from Gauley Bridge in that (his) direction; that they were within 12 miles of him, and ordered that I would send him without delay 1,000 of my infantry, my best battery,and one squadron of horse. This note was received at 5 p.m., and I marched the next morning again to Carnifix, with two out of the three regiments of infantry, three out of five pieces of artillery (having sent him three before our of eight pieces), and two troops of cavalry. This left, for this entire turnpike and the old State road, from Gualey to Lewisburg (with innumerable and indescribable mountain paths leading into the rear everywhere), one regiment of infantry, two pieces of artillery, and about 100 efficient horse, and this, too, when General Floyd was re-enforced by Tompkins' two regiments (800 strong), another of his own brigade, just arrived (from 600 to 800 strong), and three pieces of artillery and 61 men from my Legion, making his force, in all (his own 1,200, re-enforcements 1,600) 2,800 men, with five pieces of artillery, in an entrenched and almost impregnable position, while my force left at Dogwood, with which I was to take the camp at the mouth of Gauley, was reduced by measles and the re-enforcement of him to about 500 infantry, two pieces of artillery, with 60 men, and about 100 efficient horse, in all, 660 men. Yet again I marched to Carnifix, through stalling roads, and just reached the river and was descending to the ferry-boat .