It seems to me that this will be our safest and best move, whatever may be the service intended for General Burnside's army. If he goes up York River or to Urbanna we would force Meade to fight before Burnside could join him. If he goes to the south side of the James we ought to be able to get Washington before he could get back there.

I suggested last fall the idea of fortifying Richmond below, so as to hold the river at Drewry's and Cahffin's Bluffs with our vessels and about 10,000 men. In the course of the summer's campaign it may become necessary to use all of the rest of your troops in such a manner as to leave Richmond exposed. If it should so turn out, and the enemy should get there and get possession of the river, he will hold it for the balance of the war; but if we can even hold the position on the river we will be able to recover Richmond very readily, even if we should have the bad fortune to lose it temporarily.

I remain, general, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

J. LONGSTREET

Lieutenant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 89.
Richmond, April 16, 1864.

* * * *

XLII. Colonel George A. Gordon, commanding Sixty-third Georgia Volunteers, will proceed by railroad with his regiment to headquarters Department of Northern Virginia and report to General R. E. Lee, commanding, &c., for assignment to Brigadier General A. R. Wright's brigade.

XLIII. Major J. E. Rylander will proceed by railroad with his battalion (the Tenth Georgia) to headquarters Department of Northern Virginia, and report to General R. E. Lee, commanding, &c., for assignment to Brigadier General A. R. Wright's brigade.

By command of the Secretary of War:

JNO. WITHERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, Numbers 30.
April 16, 1864.

In pursuance of Special Orders, Numbers 81, paragraph XXI, Adjutant and Inspector General's Office, Major General M. L. Smith is hereby assigned to duty as chief engineer of this army, and will be respected accordingly.

By command of General R. E. Lee:

W. H. TAYLOR,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH BRIGADE,
Narrows, April 16, 1864.

Major C. S. STRINGFELLOW,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

MAJOR: Your confidential letter of the 15th has been received. The scouts are now out. A scouting party of 30 men, under Captain Crawford, Seventeenth Cavalry, left the Mercer salt-wells on the 3rd and returned on the 14th, they went within 6 miles of Brownstone,