particularly that you are deprived of General Imboden's counsel. I hope you will get all the information you require from his officers or the men in the country.

You will find, I think, Captain McNeil bold and intelligent, and others in the cavalry. Take all possible care of the men and horses. The report I sent by telegraph of General Gregg's movement is confirmed. It is stated he left Warrenton Friday, the 1st instant, and crossed over to Front Royal. He is said to have with him two brigades of cavalry and five pieces of artillery. I have not hear of him since.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

HEADQUARTERS IMBODEN'S BRIGADE,
January 6, 1863 [1864].

Major General J. A. EARLY,

Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that I sent Captain Muse, Eighteenth Virginia Cavalry, with 50 men with orders to scout to and beyond Winchester. Captain Muse has returned, but, I am sorry to say, brings no satisfactory information. He reports that 300 of the enemy entered Winchester this morning, 150 of whom went out on the Northwestern pike and were heard from 3 miles out. The rest left town as he entered it, on the Martinsburg road, and halted about a mile out of town. Small pickets still remaining on the Berryville and Millwood roads. Captain Muse based his information of the numbers of the enemy upon the statements of citizens well known to him as reliable men. If you have no use for Captain Blackford I would be obliged if you would direct him to report to me. I send you your mail, which has been forwarded to me by mistake.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. H. SMITH,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
Petersburg, Va., January 6, 1864.

General S. COOPER,

Adjt. and Insp. General, C. S., Army, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose a report just received from Brigadier-General Barton. He takes, I conceive, a very square view of the whole circumstance. General Whiting has been, and is still, very anxious for the safety of Wilmington. The weather and bad roads will prevent, for some time to come, any offensive movement on the part of the enemy in Northern Virginia. The probability, then, is that unless they intend to be perfectly inactive during the winter months some movements will be made against us either in this department or farther south. We should be prepared, and with the present scattered force (necessarily so from the extent of country to guard) under my command I doubt whether such an attack as will be made, should any be attempted, can be properly