ABINGDON, VA., August 6, 1861.

President DAVIS:

We have just recirved the following telegram:

HEADUQARTERS, Knoxville.

EDITORS OF VIRGINIAN, or

BEVERLY R. JOHNSTON:

I deem it prudent to advise you aginst the East Tennessee friends of Thomas A. R. Nelson who is on his way from Cubmerland Gap [to] Abingdon under a guard of sixty men. They might attmpt his release. They ought to reach Abingdon to- morrow evening. Ihave consented that John Baxter should visit him.

F. K. ZOLLICOFFER,

Brigadier- General.

What shall we do in our entierly defnseless condition! Should he not be sent on without delay to Richmond!

COALE & BARR,

Editors of VIrginian.

BRIGADE HEADUQARTERS,

Knoxville, August 6, 1861.

Adjt. General S. COOPER, Richmond, Va.

SIR: Thomas A. R. Nelson with an escort of three men supposed to be on his way to take his seat in the Federal Congress at Washington was arrested aboaut midnight night before last in Lee County, Va., by a company of home guards of that cojnty. He was brought to a cmp under my comamnd at Cumberland Gap and was from there sent under a guard of xity men to Abingson, Va. These facts are to- day communcated to me by Lieutenant-Colonel Wlker, of Cumberland Gap. The knowledge of the event jas apparently produced much excitement among Nelson's adherents here giving rise to menacing language. I have information from vairous sources apparently relible that different bodies of men inthecounties of SOutheastern Kentucky estimated to amount in the aggregate to several thousand are under military orgainzation and are threatining to force apassage through the mountins into East Tennessee. The Federalists her I am now well advised are awiting such amovement. My impression is that a large nubmer of Union men are opposed to it but here are very amny Licloln men here who will be restirained from co- operatin only by considerations of policy or apprehensions of the consequences. A very large amount of arms and ammunion has been placed by the Linclon Govnermant in Kentucky. Anderson (of Sumter memory) is by the Fedeeralkists here believed to be the leading military men. A Kentuckian named Nelosn, late a lielutenant in the U. S. Navy, by some siad to be Anderson's aide by otehrs said to be a newly appointed general having his headuqartes at Cincinnati is themost prominent man in getting up the thretened invasion of East Tennessee.

Very resectfully,

F. K. ZOLLICOFFER,

Brigadier-General.

Brigadier General William Nelson, U. S . Army.