the recruiting service, taking duplicate receipts for every of expenditure. One set of these receipt will be retained by the officer for his security; the other set, with an account-current, will at the expiration of the recruiting term be transmitted to the Adjutant and Inspector General for final settlement at the Treasury. These vouches and accounts current, addressed to the Adjutant and Inspector General, will be marked on the upper right-hand corner of the envelope which covers them, "Recruiting service."*

By command of the Secretary of War:

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,

Richmond, Va., January 7, 1862.

General JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON, Centreville, Va.:

SIR: A letter from Brigadier-General French, of the 30th ultimo, with indorsements of General Holmes and yourself, has been received and submitted to the President.

The withdrawal of the Arkansas regiment was not, as you suppose, "made under the instructions of this Department" to a request of General Holmes on the subject. He was authorized, by a reply of the 16th ultimo, to move a regiment of his command to the Northern Neck "as soon as, in his opinion, it could be done with safety to his command."The reduction of the force under General French, arising from the withdrawal of this regiment (as well as of Colonel Judge's Alabama regiment, totally disabled by sickness), renders it necessary, in the opinion of the President, to strengthen that important position by a detail from your center, as there are no re-enforcements here that can be sent to Evansport. As soon as Colonel Judge's regiment is recovered from its present deplorable condition it will be returned to you, and as commander of the Department of Northern Virginia you have, of course, the power to recall from the Northern Neck the regiment sent there, if in your opinion the safety of your command requires it..

The President has ordered Brigadier-General, Wayne, from Georgia, to assume command of a brigade of Georgians; and as there are only thirteen Virginia regiments in your army, already provided with three Virginia brigadiers, he does not deem it now necessary to appoint another Virginia brigadier..

The delay in organizing your army under General Orders, Nos. 15 and 18, has embarrassed me in providing the brigadier-generals appropriate to its several brigades, in accordance with the act of Congress directing and I have to request of you a statement of your present organization, indicating the separate brigade commands with he designation of the regiments comprised in each, so as to guide the Executive in selecting any additional generals that may be requisite from the States entitled to such additional nominations.

Your obedient servant,

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War.

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* Inserted here because of resulting correspondence between General Johnston and the Richmond authorities.

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