the 13th August, also, he sent me a curiously-worded demand for the regiemtn of volunteers from beyond New River commanded by Colonel McCausland-a regiment that had been worse torn to pieces than any other by traitorous desertion,by furloughs issued without my authority, and by disaffection and conspiracy of officers who did not wish to leave the valley of the kanawha. In my letter of Aught 13 I assigned him the reasons why it was impossible to comply with this request, and I presented these orders to Colonel Tompkins, who on the 14th directed to me his official protest,a nd I gave him orders according to the reason and just proprieties of the case..

Again, however, under date of the 13th, General Floyd urged me to bring up all my force, and to furnish one of his companies with arms. This was received by me on the 14th,a nd on the same day I wrote to him that his orders should be promptly and punctually obeyed. I started froces that morning to Meadow Bluff (nearly all the Legion), appointed Colonel Tompkins commandant of the post at the White Sulphur, and left him with his two volunteer regiments to be refitted and to wait for transportation. Strange to say, General Floyd,also on the 14th, at 5 o'clock a. m., wrote his dispatch Numbers 8, ordering me "peremptorily" to march at once with all my force to join him at Meadow Bluff. His Nos 7 and 8 were received nearly at the same time. I answer them by saying (on the 14th, at 9.30 o'clock a. m.) that his peremptory order should be executed as promptly as possible so soon as forces and means of transportation could be made available. On the 14th also he sent to me for ammunition, which order was complied with. On the 14th also, at 11 o'clock a. m., I told him that I was doing my best ot hasten my march by all the means in my power; that the quartermaster had not half enough wagons, and was unable to procure them. I asked him to send back to me some of his wagons to assist the expedition of my march to join him. In his letter Numbers 10, of August 15, he declined to send the wagons. On the 13th August I wrote to General Lee, informing him of the demands made upon me by General Floyd--informed him that I was very desirous to promptly obey General Floyd, and to preserve the harmony of our respective brigades. General Floyd had already commenced to violate my command by passing orders to my officers without issuing those orders through me, and I asked from General Lee two general orders: 1st that no order be passed from General Floyd ot my brigade except through me; 2nd, that the separate organization and command of my brigade, subject of course to General Floyd's priority of rank and orders for service, should not be interfered with; and I inquired of General Lee about the relations of the State volunteers under colonel Tompkins and of the militia under General Beckley and Chapman to my command.

From General Lee I received his of the 14th August complimenting me upon my rapid progress of preparation, expressing confidence in my zealous and cordial co-operation in every effort against the common enemy, and saying:

As regards command of your brigade, the military propriety of communicating through you all orders for its movement is so apparent, that I think no orders on the subject necessary. I have always supposed that it was the intention of the President to give a distinct organization to your Legion, for it to be under your command, subject, of course, ot the service under the order of a senior officer. As regards the troops serving hitherto with your Legion, it is within the province of the commanding general to continue them as hitherto under your command, to brigade them separately, or detach them, as the good of the service may demand.

Thus the President will see that I took the utmost pains to define my powers and those of General Floyd. He will see that I had reason to