had also in the meantime been called on by a committee of the House of Representatives of the Confederate Congress to answer interrogatories respecting the Roanoke Island affair. Accordingly, on the 19th of March, I informed the Secretary of War officially in writing that I was awaiting the further orders of the Department, the arrival of the portion of my legion left to my command, and the call of a committee of the House of Representatives of the Confederate Congress, and on the 25th of March, 1862, I repeated this formal notice to Mr. Randolph after he came into the Department of War. Again, on the 31st of March, I addressed a letter to Adjutant and Inspector General S. Cooper, protesting that I could not execute the then pending order of the Department to me to report to General Johnston with my legion for reason of orders to my subordinates conflicting with the order to me, and asking whether I was to execute that order, whether I was to be allowed a court of inquiry upon my conduct of the defense at Roanoke Island, or whether I was to remain here in obedience to a call of a committee of Congress, and saying again I was ready for orders and anxious to be in the field. I then received a letter from the Secretary of War dated March 29, 1862, saying:

The exigencies of the service rendering it impossible to reassemble your legion, so much of the Special Orders, Numbers 40, paragraph 18, as directed you to proceed with the legion under your command to Manassas and report to General J. E. Johnston is hereby revoked. You will report to him for duty as soon as you can conveniently leave this city (Richmond), after the investigation to which you referred in conversation on yesterday shall be completed.

As soon as my examination by the committee of Congress was completed I reported to General J. E. Johnston in person in this city. He gave me no orders, but said, on the contrary, that his command was completely organized, and that he had so reported to the Department some time previd no brigade which he could assign to my command. This was on the 11th of April. On the 12th of April I addressed to General J. E. Johnston a letter, of which the following is a copy.* And on the 14th of April, 1862, I addressed to Adjutant and Inspector General S. Cooper a letter, of which the following is a copy.+ In answer I received from General Cooper the reply of which the following is a copy.++ I immediately waited again upon General Johnston and showed him these orders. Again I received from him no orders, but he said he would see the Secretary of War in regard to the assignment of a brigade to me, and I have not heard from him since. I had seen General Lee, between whose proposed distribution of troops and the order to me of the 15th of April in respect to two companies under Lieutenant-Colonel Tyler there seemed to be some conflict, and on the 16th of April I addressed a letter to the Secretary of War, of which the following is a copy.# Receiving no answer to this letter, I called in person on the 23rd of April on the Secretary. He informed me that the labors of the Department were divided; that he had the organization of troops, but that their distribution and the orders to officers belonged to General Lee as commander-in-chief of the forces in the field; that he would assign to me the Sixtieth Regiment of Virginia Volunteers, formerly the Third of my legion, which had just arrived, but difficulties with the troops for the local defense of Richmond had made it necessary to send it on to Fredericksburg, and he referred me to General Lee. I immediately the same day called in person on General Lee, reported my embarrassment, and I understood him as saying that no

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*See p. 535.

+See p. 537.

++See p. 538.

#See p.539.

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35 R R - VOL LI, PT II