RICHMOND, December 16, 1862.

The PRESIDENT, Montgomery, Ala.:

The above dispatch was received from General Lee at 10.20 this a.m. No further intelligence from General Smith. General Jones sends here from his and Marshall's commands four regiments and a battalion.

J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA, Dublin, W. Va., December 17, 1862.

Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

The Fiftieth Virginia Regiment, Colonel Poage, started by railroad for Richmond at 2 o'clock to-day. The Fifty-fourth Virginia, Colonel Trigg, and Edmundson's battalion passed down at 7.30 p.m. yesterday. The others follow as soon as transportation can be furnished.

SAM. JONES,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS VIRGINIA STATE LINE, Camp Clarkson, Tazewell County, Virginia, December 17, 1862.

His Excellency JOHN LETCHER,
Governor of Virginia:

SIR: After my last communication to you, I prepared an expedition, consisting of a strong force of cavalry, under Colonel John N. Clarkson to operate against the enemy in the counties of Wayne, Cabell,&c. He set out from Chapmanville on November 14, in the direction of Cabell, down the Guyandotte River, over a rough and difficult road. The following day he fell in with a detachment of the enemy, which he quickly routed and dispersed. He continued the march until within a few miles of the Ohio River, breaking up the Home Guard organization of the enemy, which are very numerous in all that country,and taking prisoners every day. A strong guard of Yankee troops, acting as a guard for the Peirpoint assessor for the country of Wayne, was attacked and dispersed after a short skirmish, in which were killed and wounded some of the enemy, and we took a few prisoners.

Colonel Clarkson proceeded the, according to the previous directions give him, to the Sandy River, to attack a large and formidable organization of the enemy, composed mainly of the native population, and very strongly posted amid the cliffs and forests upon the precipitous banks of that river. He succeeded in taking them by surprise completely, and, after killing and wounding a number of them, took a large number of prisoners, and surprised entirely the rest of the force. This force and organization were formidable and extremely dangerous to the peace and quiet of the country round about for many miles. The loyal people were nearly all driven from their country, and all were robbed. After that, Colonel Clarkson, according to previous understanding, made a junction with me at the mouth of Pigeon Creek, in Logan County, on the Kentucky border, whither I had gone with the infantry and a section of the mountain howitzer battery.

I learned from Colonel Clarkson that the enemy had started a number of boats with valuable supplies from the mouth of Sandy to a post recently established at Pikeville, a point at the head of navigation on