ascertained. It is certainly credibly reported that he did lose one caisson, 30,000 rounds of ammunition, a large amount of camp equipage and clothing, as well as supplies and provisions, his own personal baggage and arms in part, and ninety-odd fat cattle, and that some of his pickets were cut off.

He says it was strange that his loss was only 20 men wounded. It is stranger still that he should have retreated with so few men wounded and none killed. His men behaved with decided gallantry, and I have no doubt would proudly have stood the brunt of the had crippled forces in one more bout. Nothing but extreme ignorance of the forces of the enemy and of the topography of the country could have engendered the belief that he could have beaten the enemy and marched directly to the valley of the Kanawha if he had been re-enforced before the close of the second day's conflict by General Wise's column and the North Carolina and Georgia regiments were moving up under his orders. Why did he not await a second day's conflict with the enemy? The necessity for his recrossing the river is not made plain, but contradicted by his own statement. He says he is confident that if he could directed by his own statement. He says he is confident that if he could have commanded the services of 5,000 men instead of 1,800, he could have opened the road directly into the valley of the Kanawha. Let me say that General Floyd is more efficient in commanding a force of 1,800 than one of 5,000 men. According to my estimate he had more than 1,800; he had 2,400 men; and so to opening the road directly into the valley of the Kanawha, that road is open already in a dozen places to any force, great or small. My cavalry, 240 strong only, had opened a road into the valley of the Kanawha within 12 miles of Charleston, killing as many of the enemy as General Floyd's whole force did at Carnifix,a nd this on the 12th september, the very date of General Floyd's report. At any time that General Floyd will attempt to enter the Kanawha Valley in the way that he proposed-by Twenty Mile, Bell's and Hughes' Creeks, or by Gauley Bridge-General Rosecrans, if permitted, will open the road for him to enter it. He says:

This close correspondence shows distinctly enough the urgent necessity of so shaping the command in the valley of the Kanawha as to insure in the future that unity of action upon which alone can rest any hope of success in military matters.

I aver that the hope of success in military matters ought not to rest on the command of General Floyd. I am not content that my command shall be transferred to him. I will confidently abide by my correspondence with him to show who ought to be the commander. If called upon to give advice to my superiors, I would say General Floyd ought to be confined in his command ot the Kentucky border, under some able superior, and that the command of the Department of the Kanawha ought to be given to Colonel C. Q. Tompkins, who is a soldier by education and natural qualifications, a gentleman, and a man who has an important stake in the country where he commands. He ought to be promoted to that command, with the rank of brigadier-general; and my Legion ought to be transferred to my immediate command somewhere in the East, leaving in the West such companies as prefer to remain there, and allowing me the privilege to supply their place.

Whenever General Floyd shall think proper to take any other or further notice of these transactions, I will, if I think proper, take further notice of him. It is not so certain that the reasons which have in-