some troops from other States. Rodes' and Colquitt's were two that were applied for by General Hill. Rodes having been promoted to the command of the division, Colquitt was sent.

If there is any political objection to employing Georgia troops to arrest deserters in North Carolina, there are Ransom's and Martin's brigades, if the cavalry and local troops cannot be applied to that service, which can be used. I do not consider it advantageous to make any more exchanges at this time. I consider Ramseur necessary with the division to which he belongs.*

With great respect, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
June 3, 1863.

Major General SAMUEL JONES,

Commanding Department Southwestern Virginia, Dublin, Va.:

GENERAL: I have received your letter of May 28. I am very much obliged to you for the offer of the Fiftieth Virginia Regiment. So far as I am able to judge at this distance, I think that this army need strengthening at this time more than yours. I will, therefore, keep the regiment in question for the present, but will send it back to you whenever you need it.

The Twenty-fifth and Thirty-first [Virginia] are on their way to this point.

General Imboden's command was organized for service in North-western Virginia and the Valley, and he reports directly to me. I have instructed him to operate in the Valley and on the line toward Staunton, Huttonsville, Cheat Mountain, Monterey, and the Potomac.

I hope you will be able to do without the transportation captured.

I send you a copy of an order reducing the transportation of this army, and even with this reduction I am deficient in general transportation for commissary, quartermaster, &c., trains.

Wishing you success in your department in the operations of the summer's campaign,

I am, very respectfully your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
June 3, 1863.

Major General GEORGE E. PICKETT,

Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: As my dispatch of yesterday might not have been sufficiently plain, I will now state that my object in moving your command toward Tappahannock was to meet the enemy, reported to be advancing in that direction from Saluda. A report from Major Collins, dated 10 p. m. last night, states that Captain [George W.] Cooke, stationed at Tappahannock, had gone within 2 1/2 miles of Saluda, and learned there were from 500 to 1,000 of the enemy at that place, and that seven steamers were at Urbana. If this is the whole force, it is probably on a marauding expedition.

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*See Seddon to Lee, June 9, Series I, Vol. XXVII, Part III, p. 874.

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