HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE KANAWHA,
Camp Gauley, September 9, 1861.

Lieutenant-Colonel CROGHAN:

SIR: My letter already started before the last communication from you was received is an answer to this. I would like exceedingly to do the things you suggest, but I cannot spare you at the present moment.

If my cavalry shall prove in efficiently armed I will convert them into infantry or mounted gunmen. They will in that way answer the puropose for this campaign. After we enter the Valley of the Kanawha, which by God's help I hope shortly to do, we will have time enough to arm and equip our troops for more efficient services. In the meantime we must make all possible speed to take thue field with all the force it is possible to command. The enemy is in strong force at Suttonsville and is menacing Summersville, and a report reaches me to-day that Cox had received re-enforcements at mouth of Gauley. We must be actively moving; therefore I hope you will move up with all speed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN B. FLOYD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Army of the Kanawha.

[5.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE KANAWHA,
Camp Gauley, September 9, 1861.

Major General R. E. LEE:

SIR: The salt-works at Bulltown are occupied by a regiment of the enemy, numbering 1,000 men, whilst the force at Suttonsville is at least 3,000, so there is no means of procuring salt from that direction, nor is there for the present from the Kanawha Valley. There can, however, be gotten 3,000 or 4,000 bushels of salt from Warfield, a small salt-works on the borders of Kentucky across the river from Logan County. Supposing from your letter that the supply to yur force is important, I have given orders to an active, energetic man to procure immediately wagons sufficient to take your supply of salt to Lewisburg. I will send a strong escort of cavalry whenever there is danger, to insure the safe delivery of the salt to your orders at Lewisburg. This is the only means by which salt can be furnished at present from this region of the west. Information, I know not how reliable, comes to me of a strong force, much beyond my own, advancing upon me from the direction of Suttonsville. My force is but little over one-half its strenght, owing to sickness of every sort, arising from the wet weather and exposure. The regiments from Georgia and North Carolina have not come up, and my force here isless than 2,000 men. Still, I will fight whatever force the enemy may bring against me here, and if he does not advance I will, whenever the people I am expecting shall come up-advance to the Kanawha River in the rear of General Cox. I am satisfied, from close observation in this region, that the enemy must be driven out, or if that is for the present unattainable, then there should be such aforce sent into this country as will satisfy the inhabitants that the country will not be abandoned to the enemy. General Wise is about Hawk's Nest, and seems very solicituous to keep his command concentrated there. If a larger force could be sent to me without detriment to the service elsewhere, it would greatly promote the public interest. I am quite confident that a great change could be enforced upon the enemy's plans if we could again possess ourselves of the Kanahwa Valley. It is, I am