HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, April 24, 1863.

Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War:

SIR: The enemy are crossing over to Port Royal, as reported to you yesterday; remained in the village long enough to take from the inhabitants what they could get, consisting of horses, mules, &c., and recrossed before our troops could reach them.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, April 25, 1863.

Brigadier General WILLIAM N. PENDLETON,
Commanding Artillery:

GENERAL: Your letter of the 22nd instant, in reference to the transportation for the artillery, has been received. A 2-horse wagon for the medical supplies of a battalion was designated by the medical director of the army. It is as much as is allotted to a regiment of infantry. If there are not enough 2-horse wagons, a 4-horse wagon will have to be taken for two battalions. Colonel Corley thinks there are enough 2 horse wagons in the artillery for the purpose.

General Orders, No. 58, designated the transportation for the troops. It did not arrange that for the supply trains. These will have to depend in amount upon the wagons which can be obtained by the reductions made in the order, and hence the necessity of turning over to the quartermaster the surplus wagons as soon as possible. It is designed to supply the commissary of the artillery with a subsistence train, if practicable. The battery wagons of a battalion, under charge of the ordnance officer, can carry the necessary tools, implements, and ordnance supplies for a battalion. Your duties in position are more nearly allied to that of a major-general than a brigadier. If you find it necessary, therefore, the transportation and camp equipage of the former can be allowed you. Flies could be used by a portion of your staff. The difficulty of procuring horses renders it necessary to reduce the transportation as low as possible. More delay has occurred than I anticipated in replacing our 6-pounders with Napoleons. The number of Napoleons received, however, has, I think, been equal to number of 6-pounders turned in. The reduction in the number of guns cannot be great. I have only heard of three 10-pounder Parrotts being sent to the army. The impossibility of procuring guns is the cause of delay. The Whitworth gun of Lane's battery is, I understand, in Richmond, repaired. I fear it was disabled by carelessness in loading, which was probably the cause of the bursting of the 20-pounder Parrott.

The destruction of horses in the army is so great that I fear it will be impossible to supply our wants. There are not enough in the country.

I am, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

CAMP NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, April 25, 1863 - 11 a.m.

General J. E. B. STUART,

Commanding Cavalry:

GENERAL: Your letter of 11 a.m. yesterday was received last night. I think it probable that among the considerations that prevent Stoneman