your are requested to furnished. At the latter place the packages will be delivered to Mr. J. J. Grindall or his agents for delivery here.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. WITHERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

RICHMOND, November 23, 1861.

[SECRETARY OF WAR]:

DEAR SIR: I have received latters from here (Greenbrier), expressing the presence there of great excitement. General Floyed has fallen back from Cotton Hill to anoint some miles south of Releigh Court-House, and will probably retire to Newborn. Two regiments from Tennessee, Colonels Hatton's and Sevage's, from the Upper Greenbrier country, are now on their way to join General Floyed, whilst a regiment or two, lately at Meadow Bluff, have been ordered away either to General Floyed or to some other more eastern or southern point, leaving at Meadow Bluff a force of only 500 or 600 men. Thus, the whole country embraced by the counties of Greenbrier and Monroe are laid open to the ravages of the enemy, in strong force at Gauley Bridge, Hawk's Next, and Fayette Court-House, with only the small force at Meadow Bluff to resist him. Hence the excitement in Greenbrier.

If the enemy come into Greenbrier and Monroe,there is nothing to arrest his progress into Botetourt, Rockbridge, and Augusta but distance. The force at Camp Barton and the Upper Greenbrier Bridge, it is understood, is barely sufficient, if sufficient, to arrest the progress of the enemy from Cheat and Valley Mountains. Can nothing be done to afford some sort of security to the people of all that large and valuable country? Can no force be sent there or near enough to the country to be immediately available? If Genera;l Floyd retreats to Newborn, the counties of Raleigh, Mercer, Giles, and Tazewell will also be open to the enemy. I should be greatly obliged to the Secretary of War for a free personal conference upon this subject.

Very truly and respectfully, yours, &c.,

SAMUEL PRICE.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY OF THE NORTHWEST,

Numbers 56. Huntersville, va., November 23, 1861.

I. Brigadier General S. R. Anderson is assigned to command of the force on the Huntersville line.

* * * * *

By order of Brigadier-General Loring:

C. L. STEVENSON,

Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, Va., November 24, 1861.

Brigadier-General LORING, Greenbrier River:

SIR: I inclose you herewith a copy of a letter*just received from General Jackson, which explains itself.

I have for several weeks been impressed with the conviction that a sudden and well-concealed movement of your entire command up the valley towards Romney, combined with a movements of General Jackson from Winchester, would result in the entire destruction, and perhaps

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* See Jackson to Benjamin, November 20, p. 965.

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