get his private letters and papers and put them in his box. It will not surprise me if the enemy beat General Lee to this place. They have burnt a large amount of stores and numbers of wagons.

Yours, truly,

WALTER K. MARTIN.

[46.]

HEADQUARTERS,
Lynchburg, April 9, 1865.

Major C. S. HART,

Chief Quartermaster, Lomax's Division:

MAJOR: Move your trains by way of Buchannan and Salem toward General Echols. We will evacuate this place to-night, going toward Liberty. You will have, to a great extent, to take care of yourself.

By order of Major-General Lomax:

WALTER K. MARTIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[46.]

DANVILLE, April 16, 1865.

General JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE,

Secretary of War, Confederate States of America.

GENERAL: I am so much concerned at the refusal of the President to give me authority over the Confederate forces who may be in Virginia, and the utter inefficiency of a divided command in Virginia, that I can but return again to the subject. I believe the power of the State, if concentrated, can yet work out grand results; but if divided, submission must be the result. I propose, then, that Virginia be made a military department to be placed under my command, with such rank, if rank be necessary, as may be agreeable or proper. This can be done in harmony with the ordinance of the State. I pledge mysefl to send all to the main army I can. surely there should be no doubt of my good faith in the premises. If the President will not do what I ask, and which I deem of the utmost importance, it would be greatly better for him or you to order all the forces of the Confederacy to join him, who is in Virginia, as I repeat, as divided authority here is ruin-utter ruin. The President will soon be beyond the reach of communication, except under great difficulty. Surely something is due to Virginia and to the views of her Governor, her only available organ. In haste,

Yours, truly,

WM. SMITH,

Governor of Virginia.

[46.]