HDQRS. DEPT. OF WESTERN VIRGINIA AND E. TENNESSEE,
Wytheville, Va., October 27, 1864.

Major General L. L. LOMAX,

Army of the Valley:

GENERAL: Your letter* of the 17th instant is received this morning. I will try to make my answer embrace all its points, without enumerating them in detail. I know you have suffered form stragglers returning to this department, and I have given strict orders to have all arrested who have not proper passes. I am also using the very small disposable force I have in scouring the country for them, and have assured all concerned that I will at once have any officer arrested and tried who receives one of them into his command. I cannot promise great success, as deserters and stragglers avoid the main roads, and go by unfrequented paths to remote and inaccessible places. In regard to Payne's company and Witcher's battalion, I have to remark that they, with nearly all the cavalry you have and a good deal of the infantry in the Valey, belong to this Department, and were sent out temporarily last spring, leaving it nearly stripped. A very small portion of the command was retained, chiefly Witcher and Payne. My action in retaining Payne received the express sanction of the War Department. I cannot spare them unless they are ordered off by the War Department. Those two little commands, numbering together about 350 men, form the entire force I have to guard the country from Beverly around to the mouth of Sandy, except a very small body of irregular and half-organized partisans. Vaughn's scattered command is far in East Tennessee, and I have only a few hundred mounted men here (Duke), to protect the country and attend to bands of deserters, disloyal organizations, &c. I have just sent to the Valley Cosby's and Giltner's small brigades. If I had known your wishes, I would have much preferred to retain them and sent Witcher and Payne. In regard to the wagons and mules you mentioned and the shop, I will have the matter investigated at once, and try to send you the transportation, tools, &c. Yet, general, I can hardly express to you the destitution of this department, caused in part by my own, liberality, for last summer I ordered from it many things for General Early's army, and, among the rest, a good deal of transportation and about 25,000 horseshoes.

With good wishes, I am, yours, truly,

JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE,

Major-General.

DUBLIN, October 27, 1864.

Major-General BRECKINRIDGE,

Wytheville:

Dispatch received last night from Mercer County. A band of robbers had come in and were plundering everybody, driving off horses, negroes, and stock; supposed to be about thirty or three days ago, as he went on with Witcher. The citizens beg that a force may be sent at once to relieve them and capture this band with their plunder. They were within nineteen miles of the Narrows yesterday morning. A good company of cavalry could possibly capture them. I have nobody to send. Will write to-day.

JNO. ECHOLS,

Brigadier-General.

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*Not found.

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