HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
Wilmington, August 26, 1861.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant-General, Richmond:

GENERAL: Colonel S. L. Fremont, First Regiment Artillery North Carolina Militia, has, by direction of Governor Clark, reported to me for duty. It is desirable to have his services as chief engineer of the defenses of the Cape Fear and the neighboring coast, and I respectfully request authority to muster him into the service of the Confederate States with that view. These defenses have been too long neglected; not ime should be lost in resuming the works. Please reply by telegraph.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. C. GATLIN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[4.]

RICHMOND, August 27, 1861.

General J. E. JOHNSTON,

Commanding, Manassas, Va.:

GENERAL: Lieutenant Colonel John Echols' letter of August 16, 1861, in relation to his regiment, has been submitted to the President, who desires that you be infromed that under the information received that the regiment had been chiefly raised on the southern borders of Western Virginia, he is desirous that, on accoung of its reduced state and from other urgent reasons, it should be sent to Lewisburg to be recruited, after which it will join the command of General J. B. Floyd, operating in that quarter. If there is no sufficient reason to the contrary, he desires this should yet be done, although he is reluctant to separate it from General T. J. Jackson's brigade, if that officer is particularly anxious to retain it.

I am, sir, respectfully,

R. H. CHILTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[5.]

MANASSAS, VA., August 27, 1861.

Captain E. P. ALEXANDER:

(Care of Major Gorgas, Richmond, Va.)

CAPTAIN: I desire that you should call upon the President, with Major Gorgas, to represent to him that I have but thirty-five pieces of light artillery for thirty-five regiment of infantry, or one piece per regiment. Should we not be able to have additional light batteires, we must then supply their palces with rocket batteries for the purpose of frightening the untamed horses of the enemy. We must also have an increase of cavalry, of which the enemy is very deficient. We ought to have here about 4,000 or even 5,000 mounted men for the purpose of charging on McClellan's batteries and raw infantry after our rockets shall have put them in disorder. Colonels Preston, Miles, and Chesnut may be able to help you.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. T. BEAUREGARD.

[Indorsement.]

Extract from a letter written to Mr. Davis by General Beauregard from headquarters, near Centerville, October 20, 1861.

Assured of the difficulties in getting field guns in any adequate number for the exigency, and convinced of the value of war rockets against