XXXIII. Brigadier General G. W. C. Lee will resume the command of his brigade, Local Defense Troops.

By command of the Secretary of War:

JNumbers WITHERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[OCTOBER 8, 1864.-For Lee to Seddon, relating to number of guns captured in engagement on Darbytown and New Market roads, October 7, see Part I, p. 852.]

CONFIDENTIAL.] HEADQUARTERS,

Chaffin's, October 8, 1864.

His Excellency Z. B. VANCE,

Governor of North Carolina, Raleigh:

GOVERNOR: It is necessary that this army should be increased. The enemy's greatly superior numbers enable him to extend his flanks in both directions, until at last, if not prevented, he will envelop us. He is also daily receiving re-enforcements, and I wish to draw to me every man I can. I have written to General Holmes to endeavor to replace the Fiftieth North Carolina at Plymouth and Washington by reserves, and the Sixty-seventh North Carolina at Kinston also. The Sixty-eighth North Carolina at Morganton, as far as I know, is not now required there. The two last named regiments are in the State service, but the former I believe is in the Confederate. If there is any objection to turning over the Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eight Regiments to the Confederate Government, will circumstances permit your assigning them to duty under me till the active campaign ceases? Have you not some battalion of State cavalry that could relieve the Sixty-sixth North Carolina Cavalry at Kinston? These four regiments would be of the greatest benefit to me. I requested General Beauregard, on his late visit to Wilmington and Charleston, to exchange portions of the garrisons at each, so that we could have a part of the garrison at least at Wilmington that had served under fire. The breaking out of the yellow fever at Charleston, and the assignment of General Beauregard to duty in the Southwest, will prevent this arrangement. I know now no way of accomplishing this desirable object but to send some of the regiments of this army to Wilmington and draw from there some with which it is garrisoned. Do you think the regiments from this army, which are much depleted, could be filled up at Wilmington, and that in the meantime the deficit in numbers be supplied by reserves? Another difficulty arises in the character of troops. The troops at Wilmington are mostly artillery, while those I have are infantry. If Young's and Moore's battalions, with any unassigned company, were organized into a regiment under some good officer, say Major Reilly, this regiment, with the Thirty-sixth and Fortieth (heavy artillery), might be replaced as I have suggested, provided instructors could be obtained for the regiments replacing them, and their ranks recruited. I believe Wilmington would be better defended by this arrangement. I fear, however, there will be great difficulty in making it. I will write to General Whiting on the subject and see what are the objections. I have not forgotten your anxiety on the subject of the commanding officer at Wilmington. I share it in an equal degree, but I can find no