Abstract from Field Return of troops commanded by Major General A. Elzey, December 31, 1862 (headquarters Richmond, Va.)

Present for duty.

Command. Office Men Effecti Aggrega Aggregate

rs ve te present

total present and

absent

Brigadier 152 1,817 2,098 2,501 3,400

General H. A.

Wise

Colonel E. C. 127 1,611 1,804 2,274 3,311

Brabble

Colonel T. S. 96 1,424 1,677 1,983 2,467

Rhett

Col T. J. Page 26 252 340 404 489

Captain S. S. 16 266 306 383 395

Lee

Grand total. 417 5,370 6,225 7,545 10,062

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,

Richmond, Va., January 1, 1863

General R. E. LEE:

I have information that there is in Hampton Roads a large fleet, said to be one hundred transports. General Smith has just returned from North Carolina; apprehends very seriously invasion on a large scale in that State. Either that or a surprise of this city may be meditated. Would it not be judicious to have a considerable detailment of your army either here or within supporting distance?

J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS PROVISIONAL FORCES, C. S. A,
Warm Springs, N. C., January -, 1863.

His Excellency ZEBULON B. VANCE,

Governor of the State of North Carolina:

SIR: I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that upon full investigation I am convinced that the late attack on Marshall was made by a band of men numbering about 50 only, who were instigated by desire of plunder, and that there is no treasonable organization of citizens of North Carolina in the mountain region having in view the injury of the Government of the Confederate States or the giving aid to that of the United States. Having an ample force of Confederate soldiers I have informed Colonel McElroy that he can disband his militia, who will be no doubt of more service at home attending to their own domestic affairs, there not being any necessity for keeping them longer in the field. I am pleased to hear that they have been active and zealous in searching for the outlaws, and would no doubt have been very efficient had the trouble been as serious as reported. I have directed all the citizen prisoners to be turned over to the civil authorities of Madison, requesting Colonel McElroy to guard them to such safe jail as they may be committed to. You will be furnished, I suppose, by Colonel McElroy with a list of the prisoners and the evidence against them. They are all implicated in the [burning of the] town of Marshall. I have placed Major [W. N.] Garrett, Sixty-fourth North Carolina Volunteers, in charge of a force of about 200 of his regiment, one company of cavalry, and 30 Indians, which force is now on Laurel Creek. Major Garrett has orders to pursue and arrest every man in the mountains, of