HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Dublin, March 19, 1863.

Colonel JOHN McCAUSLAND,

Commanding, &c., Princeton:

COLONEL: Your letter of the 17th is received. The delay in the receipt of corn here will prevent its being delivered at your post in time to enable you to start on the 22nd instant. Delay, therefore, your move two days longer. I do not anticipate that this delay will interfere with Jenkins' plans, as I do not think he can reach the Kanawha before the 26th instant. The delay will enable you to make your preparations more thorough than they would be if obliged to start on the 22nd.

Your quartermaster reports that 90 barrels of hard bread have been received at your post this week. You will, of course, not allow it to be used until you start on the march, and if it is scarce, your men should start with one or two days' bread of their own baking. Corn enough for your expedition has been started to the Narrows, and should be there to-morrow or the next day.

A courier has been sent to General Jenkins, and should return with information from him in time to let you know when he will reach the Kanawha.

Very respectfully and truly,

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Dublin, March [19], 1863.

Colonel JOHN McCAUSLAND,

Commanding, &c., Princeton, Mercer County, Va.:

COLONEL: The general commanding directs me to say he has been informed that there are only about 1,200 of the enemy's troops in the Kanawha Valley, and only 200 or 300 men at Fayetteville. The estimate is probably too low. The information was brought by a man who was sent to Charleston by General Jenkins.

General Williams has been ordered to move the Forty-fifth [Virginia] Regiment to Raleigh Court-House, to have it there by the evening of the 26th instant. The colonel commanding the regiment has been ordered to notify you of his arrival at Raleigh Court-House, to report to and receive orders from you. He will start on his expedition on the 24th instant, unless otherwise ordered.

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

P. C. WARWICK,

Aide-de-Camp.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Dublin, March 19, 1863.

Brigadier General J. D. IMBODEN,

Commanding, &c., Staunton, Va.:

GENERAL: I received to-day a letter, of the 16th instant, from Brigadier General W. E. Jones, informing me that he would exert himself to have everything in readiness for the movement of Captain McNeill on the 22nd instant, and requesting me to send my engineer and his party to that place.

From your letter of the 14th instant, it seems that your proposed expedition embraces that of McNeill. Surely there cannot be in contem-