HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Dublin, September 17, 1863.

Major General SAMUEL JONES,

Zollicoffer:

General Lee can send you no troops. Will send his letter to-morrow. Expects a fight.

CHAS. S. STRINGFELLOW,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

DUBLIN, September 17, 1863. (Received 19th.)

Honorable JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

Captain Martin, assistant adjutant-general, reports from Abingdon that enemy are advancing slowly on that place. He says Colonel Carter, First Tennessee [Cavalry] Regiment, engaged enemy 7 miles this side of Bristol this morning, and fell back to Abingdon. Enemy have seven regiments and six or more pieces of artillery. I have heard nothing from General Jones to-day, and therefore presume the above the be true. He was at Zollicoffer yesterday.

CHAS. S. STRENGFELLOW,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Dublin, September 17, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel E. A. PALFREY,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

In the absence of the commanding general in East Tennessee, I have the honor to report, in reply to your letter of the 15th instant, that Colonel G. C. Wharton was ordered to the valley with his brigade on the 8th of July, 1863.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHAS. S. STRINGFELLOW,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
September 18, 1863.

His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS,

President Confederate States:

Mr. PRESIDENT: I have had the honor to receive your letter of the 16th instant. Should Generals Rosecrans and Burnside unite at Chattanooga, as now seems to be probable, and there fortify themselves, they will have, as you say, such vast means at their dispoal as to rendered an attack upon that position by us extremely hazardous. I can see no other way, at this distance, of causing them to abandon that strong position than that which you suggest of attacking their line of communication. For this purpose their position will be favorable, for, although from Stevenson two routes are open to the enemy, one to Memphis, and the other to Nashville, from Stevenson to Chattanooga there is but a single route. General Bragg, by concentrating his cavalry, and sending it to cut the lines of communications beyond Stevenson, will cause General Bragg, by concentrating his cavalry, adn sending it to cut the lines of comunication beyond Stevenson, will cause General Rosecrans to detach largely for its maintenance. Then, by moving with his whole force upon a valuable point, according to the nature of the ground, he will in all human probability break up his position.