75,000 men, and that he will move with 100,000. This force is said to be independent of Burnside and that which will be on the Peninsula. I did not intend to change Johnston's position till I saw further as to the probable plans of the enemy, and have not yet ordered Hoke to join me. If anything is to be done in North Carolina it should be done quickly.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

HEADQUARTERS, Kinston, N. C., April 13, 1864.

Colonel J. N. WHITFORD,
Commanding Sixty-seventh North Carolina:

COLONEL: General Corse directs that you have your command in readiness to move at a moment's notice.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

P. B. HOOE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,

Richmond, Va., April 14, 1864.

General R. E. LEE,

Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of the 12th instant, just received, and to thank you very sincerely for the valuable suggestions it contained. They fortify me by the might of your authority in the convictions of policy enteratined and the line of action I had adopted, to some extent, in pursuance of them. The most earnest efforts are being made to command the full resources for transportation of the railroad lines, and I have not hesitated to stop passenger trains whenever by so doing Government freight could be increased or expedited. The officer in charge of railroad transportation has been sent out, and is now absent on a mission, with all the power the Department could confer, to secure the fullest concert of action and the employment of all the means that could be commanded for transportation. The Piedmont Railroad is being pressed to early completion, but, unfortunately, the recent floods oppose embarrassing impediments, which may delay it two weeks longer than I confidently anticipated. I still hope it may be completed in the early part of next month.

I am thoroughly convinced of the importance of depleting the population of Richmond, and have, on more occasions than one before the reception of your letter urged on the President the exercise of his influence and authority to accomplish the removal of the population so far as they could be spared from the necessary work of the city. Such steps have not as yet been taken, fro the difficulties and embarrassments attending it must be acknowledged to be of a very grave character. It is next to impossible to make, by the action of the Government, adequate provision for the shelter and support of the numbers which would then be thrown homeless and indigent upon the country, and even those who had means of self-support would find it very difficult to obtain accommodation