RICHMOND, July 17, 1861.

Governor T. O. MOORE,

New Orleans, La.:

Order M. De Marigny's regiment here without delay.

L. P. WALKER.

[2.]

Nashville, TENN., July 17, 1861.

His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS:

Your dispatch of the 15th just received. We have twenty-three infantry regiments and three regiments of cavalry, all armed and equipped. I have sent three regiments to Haynesville, in East Tennessee. What portion of this force would you advise to be sent to Virginia?

I. G. HARRIS.

[2.]

ENGINEER'S OFFICE,

Richmond, July 17, 1861.

Major General R. E. LEE,

Commanding Virginia Forces:

SIR: Herewith I have the honor to submit for your consideration a communication this morning received from Captain A. L. Rives, in reply to the letter of Colonel Ewell, referred to this department. The objections of Colonel Ewell to the lines of defense selected by Captain Rives appear to be unsupported by facts.

Very respectfully, yours, &c.,

ANDREW TALCOTT,

State Engineer.

[Inclosure.]

WILLIAMSBURG, July 13, 1861.

Colonel ANDREW TALCOTT,

Chief Engineer, Virginia Forces:

SIR: I should have replied before to your letter requesting information with reference to the defenses near this point, and inclosing, Colonel Ewell's communication of the 1st instant to General Lee on the same subject, had not General Magruder's presence for the past three or four days so stimulated the work as to occupy my whole time. Progress is now satisfactory. In reply to Colonel Ewell's communication, I beg leave to submit, respectfully, the following statement: Colonel Ewell was directed, if I mistake not, at an early day by General Lee to select the lines of defense near Williamsburg and commence them immediately. On our arrival Captain Meade and myself found nothing done and no definite selection whatever of points of defense made, only this: That in the colonel's estimation the lines should rest on Queen's and College Creeks, passing somewhere near Williamsburg. The colonel makes an important mistake in his letter. It is this: "Instead of a line of one mile and three-quarters between the creeks, three miles as the crow flies is the correct distance, and not less than three miles and a half, selecting favorable ground." This mistake is the more singular, as the colonel had frequently seen my map, divided into square miles, before writing his letter of the 1st instant. I arrived on May 12, Colonel