orders through the commander-in-chief of the Department of Northern Virginia to report at headquarters here, the design of the President being to assign you to command in Georgia under General Lee.

I am, your obedient servant,

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War.

[5.]

GOLDSBOROUGH, February 10, 1862.

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War:

Dispatch of this date received. Orders will be issued. Will send a regiment of infantry to Hamilton on the Roanoke with instructions to move down the riveres as low as Jemesville. Please order a light battery to Enfield to proceed down and join the infantry.

R. C. GATLIN,

Brigadier-General.

[9.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA, Goldsborough, February 10, 1862.

Brigadier General L. O'B. BRANCH,
Commanding Froces, &c., New Berne:

GENERAL: Your letter of the 9th instant has been received. A dispatch from General Huger was received this morning, stating that Roanoke Island fell into the hands of the enemy at 2.30 p. M., either Saturday or Sunday, I do not exactly understand which. I will send a regiment of infantry to Hamilton with instructions to move down as low as Jamesville, and will telegraph Governor Clark to send the Thirty-eighth, under his orders for Washington, to the Roanoke. Don't send any of your troopos for the present. Let us wait until we learn more of the designs of the enemy. Your letter of this date received. Of course Major Hall should have a large discretion, but he ought not to abandon the county without imperious necessity. It may be that the enemy may direct their attention entirely to the northeast for the present.

In haste, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. C. GATLIN,

Brigadier-General.

[9.]

TAPPAHANNOCK, February 12, 1862.

Hon. R. M. T. HUNTER,

Secretary of State, C. S. A., Richmond, Va.:

MY DEAR SIR: Your note forward by Mr. Baird was duly received. I shall take great pleasure in appointing him on my staff as volunteer aide should I receive the comission you speak of. I take the liberty of inclosing a copy of a letter which I have transmitted to General Holmes' office, in hopes that you may see that necessity of the instructions I ask for. Our recent misfortunes, and, in fact, the invariable success of the enemy's fleets over our batteries, should put us on our guard, and if this is to be a stand-point we should not lose a moment in preparing for the emergency.

I am, sir, with much respect, your obedient servant,

G. E. PICKETT.