JULY 4, 1863.

Honorable JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War:

Milligan's dispatches are generally sensational, but if you have reason to believe that Foster has left North Carolina, I think Colquitt ought to be hurried up. My last report from North Carolina was that five of Foster's brigades had been ordered to move, but nothing definite was known of their movement. At any rate, it would be prudent to bring up Colquitt. Richmond and Petersburg are richer prizes than Kinston and Goldsborough.

The Yankees are so fond of clap-trap, that I expect a general advance everywhere to-day - at Vicksburg, Tullahoma, Pennsylvania, Richmond. Has Hall Been heard from to-day? I fear that, without a movable battery, he will be beaten and his artillery captured.

With great respect,

D. H. HILL,

Major-General.

JULY 4, 1863.

Honorable JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War, C. S. A.:

It would seem to be one object of the Yankee demonstration to distract our attention and divide our forces. I think, therefore, that 100 convalescents, under a good officer, with two pieces of artillery, also under a good officer, would be sufficient to prevent a raid.

The order which seems to have been issued placing me in command of the troops never reached me, and I do not know to this hour what is expected of me. I know, however, that the present arrangement is a very bad one. I had thought that after the Yankees were driven back, as far as they could be, at the White House, that we could turn upon those near Hanover Court-House. I therefore telegraphed from Bottom's Bridge for a train to take Cooke's brigade up to their camp. After reaching here, I wrote to General Elzey, asking to have transportation for Cooke's brigade and a battery,, upon the supposition that the Yankees were in large force. You wrote suggesting the sending of a regiment. I then asked for transportation for a regiment and battery, to be ready by 10 o'clock.

After 10 o'clock, I got the first intimation of the knowledge of my request for transportation. The note said that transportation would be ready for one regiment and battery; but at 1 o'clock that the battery could not go.

Had all this matter been in my own hands, Cooke's brigade would have gone up yesterday, and the Yankees would have been driven back to-day. They will annoy us until they are whipped, and we may as well make up our minds to that. In this view of it, Colquitt might come over for a week, and enable us to march out and drive them across the Pamunkey. With this force hanging on each flank, it is dangerous to leave Richmond too far. I felt this when across the Chickahominy.

By the way, could you not get the local papers to avoid the use of the names of officers? The Yankees now know that the Blackwater has been stripped, and that Jenkins has left Petersburg. Foster knows

that I am no longer in his front at Goldsborough.