next senior officer to proceed to Montgomery and report by letter. I communicated this to General Bragg in a letter dated December 9, instant; requested him to enforce my order, and added that the non-compliance of Colonel [J. J.] Morrison with my instructions, ordering him into Kentucky, may have endangered this department. I have, up to this time, had no report from these troops.

E. KIRBY SMITH,

Lieutenant-General, Commanding.

General [S.] COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector-General.

No. 5. Report of Major-General Samuel Jones, C. S. Army, commanding Department of West Virginia.

DUBLIN, TENN., December 31, 1862.

General [H.] Marshall reports that a brigade of the enemy's cavalry, estimated from 2,000 to 4,000, passed Pendleton Gap on the 28th instant and burned the bridge over Watauga, at Union, East Tenn., yesterday. I have sent all my troops immediately available to General Marshall to protect the salt-works and the road within this department, and, if possible, to intercept the enemy.

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

No. 6. Reports of Brig. General Humphrey Marshall, C. S. Army, of operations December 30-January 7.

ABINGDON, VA., January 7, 1863.

DEAR SIR: You will understand my delay in writing, as I promised to do at our last interview in Richmond, when I tell you that I was much indisposed for nearly a week after my return, and then heard you had passed here going west. I reached here to-day after an absence in the saddle since December 30, during which time I made a pursuit of the Yankee force under General Carter, which did not prove quite a success, if catching them and thrashing them means alone success. The were 2,000 strong, and splendidly armed with Colt's five-shooting rifles and army revolving pistols. I do not doubt they had twenty shots to my one. I had for action 750 men. I came upon their rear at Jonesville, Lee County, Virginia, at nightfall on the 2nd instant, and exchanged a volley as my skirmishers passed into the town and their rear guard retired. They passed out at the gap called Crank's Gap by 11 o'clock that night. I did not pursue past Jonesville except by a picket of 30 men, to watch that they did not encamp, for in 4 miles from Jonesville to the gap the road crossed two high ridges, and then skirts between wooded hills across two very narrow vales, all the way being a succession of the finest