mand. The reasons which originally induced the adding of the Valley District to your department exist in full force at present, and I cannot therefore agree to its separation from your command..

I will visit the Army of the Potomac as soon as other engagements will permit, although I cannot realize your complimentary assurance that great good to the army will result from it, nor can I anticipate the precise time when it will be practicable to leave my duties here..

Very respectfully and truly, yours,.

JEFFERSON DAVIS..

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,.

Centreville, February 14, 1862.

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN, Secretary of War:.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of the 9th instant, just received. The necessary orders have been given to Major-Generals Holmes and Jackson and E. K. Smith to send the four regiments named by you to Knoxville, Tenn., forthwith..

In a letter dated February 12, Major-General Jackson informed me that since the evacuation of Romney by our order the United States troops have returned to it, and that the officer commanding at Moorefield reported that the enemy, 3,000 strong, were approaching that place..

The reduction of our force by the operation of the furlough system makes it impracticable to re-enforce the Valley District from that of the Potomac..

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,.

J. E. JOHNSTON,.

General..

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,.

Centreville, Va., February 14, 1862.

General JACKSON:.

SIR: The President, through the Secretary of War, directs that the Georgia regiment now with General Loring be sent immediately to Knoxville; that the two Tennessee regiments of General Anderson's brigade and Colonel Rust's (Arkansas) regiment be sent to report to Major-General Holmes, commanding Aquia District, and the remaining troops of General Loring's command sent to this district (of the Potomac). Please give the necessary orders from these movements, to be made in the order in which they are written above. If the regiments coming to join this army should be provided with tolerable means of transportation, they had better be sent to Manassas. Possibly some of the troops might, considering the inefficiency of the railroad, with less delay and discomfort march by the turnpike to Snicker's Gap. This will be for you division..

Re-enlistments in the Virginia regiments must be, I think, under the recent law of the State Legislature, and no longer under the bounty and furlough law of Congress. It is so intended by the State authorities. Please, therefore, to make the necessary modifications in the mode of procedure in the Virginia regiment sunder your command..

Please give men any information you have of the numbers and strength of the enemy near you..