corps, as the enemy can easily take refuge in his intrenched positions and under the cover of his gunboats.

I felt well convinced that the operations of Pegram and Marshall in Kentucky, aided by rumor, would bring a Federal army into that State. I was in hopes it would be drawn from Rosecrans, but my expectation in that has not been realized. Still, I think by proper activity re-enforcements can be withheld from Rosecrans, and if in the meantime General Johnston can draw from Mobile, and other points in his department not exposed to immediate invasion by the enemy, sufficient re-enforcements to enable him to take the aggressive, all will go well.

I am, with great respect, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA, Dublin, April 2, 1863.

General R. E. LEE,
Commanding, Camp near Fredericksburg, Va:

GENERAL: The Adjutant and Inspector General had directed me to send the Fifty-fourth Virginia Regiment, Colonel [R. C.] Trigg, to Knoxville, and I have ordered it to move to that place; the other regiment, the Fiftieth Virginia, I will send to you without unnecessary delay.

The morning report of the Fiftieth shows aggregate present, 648; aggregate present and absent, 823. Nearly all the absentees are at their homes in this neighborhood, where they were allowed to go for a few days whilst the weather and roads were such that I could not move the regiment to the place I intended to send it.

Nearly all the absentees will return by the end of this week. If you wish the regiment to go to you immediately without waiting for the return of the absentees, telegraph me to that effect, and it shall go immediately. I take it for granted that you will send the Twenty-fifth and Thirty-first Virginia to Imboden. You may count with certainty on receiving the Fiftieth.

With great respect and esteem, your obedient servant,

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA, Dublin, April 2, 1863.

Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War:

SIR: The letter from Governor Vance to you of the 21st ultimo, and referred by you to me, was received yesterday.

Your indorsement recommends that the horses now in North Carolina, and belonging to Brigadier-General Jenkins' brigade, be sent to some other district in my command. These horses were sent to North Carolina on your recommendation, and before removing them [I desire to say that it is impracticable to forage them in this department at present. I hope very soon to receive a supply of corn from Georgia, and when that is received I can bring the horses within my department, and perhaps send them to forage in a part of the country now occupied by the enemy. If Governor Vance will bear with me a few weeks longer, I can relieve his State of the horses without injury to the service. If the horses are brought into Virginia now, they will probably starve.