messages with facility, and the general thinks it may be of service to you, but advises that care be taken to conceal the fact of our knowledge of the alphabet. The enemy also reads our messages, and the general suggests that your signal men be put on their guard to prevent the enemy obtaining information by that means.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHARLES MARSHALL,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Aide-de-Camp.

HEADQUARTERS VALLEY DISTRICT,
August 31, 1864.

Major-General BRECKINRIDGE,

Commanding, & c.:

GENERAL: The lieutenant-general commanding directs that you move to Shepherdstown at daylight to-morrow, going from Darkesville to Leetown, and thence to Shepherdstown. Your trains and artillery accompany you, and you will march one brigade in rear of all your trains. The brigade which is at Martinsburg you will order to proceed from that place to Shepherdstown as soon as Rodes and Ramseur reach Martinsburg.

I am, general, respectfully, & c.,

A. S. PENDLETON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF SOUTHWEST VA. AND EAST TENN.,
Dublin, August 31, 1864.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, & c.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that on yesterday (30th instant), in obedience to Special Orders, No. 198, section XLI, August 22, 1864, from your office, I assumed command of this department, relieving Brigadier General John H. Morgan, and have for the present established my headquarters at this place. I have not as yet been able to obtain any very satisfactory report of the troops now in the department, but hope to be able to take steps soon to secure such report. I herewith inclose to you the only report* that could be made from the papers in the office of the assistant adjutant-general of the department. From this you will perceive that the organization of the troops must necessarily be imperfect and confused, resulting from the fragmentary character of the various commands. Brigadier-General Morgan has had, no doubt, very great difficulty in establishing any organizations from the materials under his control, and much difficulty will still be experienced in this regard. I find that there is no inspector for the troops, an officer very important at this time for the proper organization of the command; and I respectfully request, if it can be done, that a rigid and experienced inspecting officer may be assigned to me temporarily, to aid me in bringing the affairs of the department to a better system and order. I have thought that some such officer might now be on duty in Richmond, who could be spared for this duty, at least for a short time. I do not forward the inclosed paper as a report, but only

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* Not found.

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