[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS,
November 21, 1864.

Respectfully refereed to Colonel Mosby for his government.

R. E. LEE,

General.

HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS, ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
November 20, 1864.

Major-General LOMAX:

GENERAL: I have read with great interest your report of operations in the Valley,* and I have forwarded it to General lee, asking his particular attention to it. I also sent the papers showing your wants, and I hope they will soon be supplied. You may rest assured that I shall do all it my power to assist you in making your command as effective as yo desire, and I hope that you will call on me without hesitation whenever I can aid you. It gives me pleasure to learn that you are making rapid steps i improving your command, and I hope that it will soon be thoroughly organized and equipped. Let me hear from you often, and tell me fully your wants.

With my best wishes, I am, very respectfully, yours,

WADE HAMPTON,

Major-General.

WITHEVILLE, VA., November 21, 1864.

Major-General BRECKINRIDGE,

Commanding East Tennessee:

GENERAL: The increased complaints of operations of bushwhackers on the North Carolina border adjoining Grayson County has rendered it necessary to send a force there, and I have ordered Captain Cantrill with a detachment to proceed there, and in conjunction with a local force which I have arranged to report to jim there to disperse them. The work will require a week or ten days at least. I have a communication from Colonel Vandeventer, in Lee county, asking for 100 arms, and reporting the bushwhackers very active. He reports that he has 150 well-mounted men, and is organizing the reserves and local forces. I send him some ammunition, but no arms. I find there are still some detachments there without authority. I have ordered him to send all such to join their commands, and by means of the reserves to arrest all the individual deserters and stragglers he can. The country thus cleared of roaming squads claiming to act by authority, there will remain but two classes, the authorized organizations and the other class of bushwhackers, deserters, and stragglers, against whom a common warfare can be waged. To my mind this is the only policy which will result in any permanent good. I did not send list of prisoners here as stated yesterday, concluding to wait until I would receive the lists from Abingdon and Bristol, which I expect to-morrow. I will then sent a consolidated report showing every prisoner by name. I send you papers. There are no letters which I have not been able to attend to.

Very respectfully,

J. STODDARD JOHNSTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

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*See Part I, p.610.

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