impossible for me to conduct a campaign with General Wise attached to my command. His presence with my force is alsmot as injurious as if he were in the camp of the enemy with his whole command. He is perpetually attempting to justify his own former blunders by inducing me to repeat the same. He was bitterly opposed to my crossing the river and decleared even to my teamsters that I would be cut all to pieces. On both occasions when he knew I was to fight he refused to come to my assistance; but worst of all is the spirit of antipathy and dislike which he attempts to engender in the minds of his officers andmen toward everybody under my command. I hope you will pardon me for making a suggestion by which these difficulties can be most easily obviated and the public interest in this quarter best promoted. It would be to order General Wise with his legion to service either with Beauregard or Magurder. The transportation which he has accumulated could be turned over into the hands of a quartermaster at Jackson's River appointed to receive it; so could the artillery, which could be replaced to him if need be upon his arrival at the headquarters of his commander. To replace him here, an equal number of regiments with his cold be ordered from Lynchburg anc ould be brought straight forward with the transportation left by him at Jackson's River. If this be promptly done, I feel entirely confident now, after the little experience I have had, that the forces can still be marchedinto the Valley of the Kanawha and the country rescued from the invaders before the winter fairly sets in. With an army of respectable force upon the banks of the Ohio below the mouth of the Kanawha, the commerce of Cincinnati and Pittsburg can be destroyed, and by cutting off the supplies of coal which annually pass down the Ohio River to Cincinnati, an amount of actual suffering can be inflicted upon that town which would fully counterbalance all the injuries received by Western Virginia at the hands of her invaders; ahis a system of forays for the invasion of the Ohio shore could be put in operation which will inflict serious losses on all the border counties and will produce consternation throughout the whole State. We made a good fight last Tuesday at Camp Gauley. Rosecrans, with ten full regiments, attached our force, numbering less than 2,000, in our rude intrenchments, and kept up an almost unintermitted assault for four hours. We repulsed him in five separate assaults, the last ofwhich occurred at dark, when he drew off for the night. Findingmyself before an overwhelming force abundantly armedwith the most approved rifle cannon, I determined to recross the river during the night, which I did without an accident, the enemy being so crippled that he could not pursue. They confess among themselves to a loss of several hundred killed and wounded. Some of the neighboring people who passed through the encampment and over the battle-ground the day after state that they heard the officers acknowledge amongst temselves to a loss of 700 killed and wounded. Two men of ours held by them as prisoners, who effected their escape the night after the battle, declare that same statement was made by them in the camp. The same superintending Providence that seems to have protected our arms everywhere shielded us again at this fight with Rosecrans. We escaped with less than twenty wounded, and not a man killed.

With the kindest wishes for your health and happiness, I am, very truly, your friend,

JOHN B. FLOYD.

P. S.-I am complaining a little from an injury in my right arm that prevents me from signing my own letter.

[5.]