SPECIAL ORDERS,
ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 209.
Richmond, Septembe 6, 1862.

* * *

IX. The Fifth Battalion Virginia Volunteers will be disbanded, and the men composing the same between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five will be enrolled and transferred to the Fifty-third Regiment Virginia Volunteers.

* * *

By command of the Secretary of War:

John WITHERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[12.]

CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS RIGHT WING,

September 9, 1862.

* * *

XXVI. Captain Thornton's battery Virginia light artillery will without delay proceed to Richmond, Va., and report for duty to Major General G. W. Smith, commanding, &c.

* * *

By command of the Secretary of War:

JNO WITHERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[12.]

CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS RIGHT WING,

September 9, 1862.

This command will move to-morrow morning at 5 o'clock. The troops will be in readiness to move promptly at that hour.

By command of Major-General Longstreet:

G. M. SORREL,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[19.]

SPECIAL ORDERS,
ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 212.
Richmond, September 10, 1862.

XXVI. Captain Thornot's battery, Virginia light artillery will without delay proceed to Richmond, Va., and report for duty to Major General G. W. Smith, commanding, &c.

* * *

By command of the Secretary of War:

John WITHERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[18.]

OFFICE OF CHIEF ENGINEER,

DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,

September 10, 1862.

Honorable GEORGE W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

SIR: I have the honor to ask your consideration of an important question in connection with the obstructions that have been placed in the James River at Drewry's Bluff, viz: The leaving of a pass -way for our gun-boats and floating batteries to go below the works. It is possible to provide such a pass-way, to be closed by a movable obstruction on the approach of superior naval forces of the enemy; but such an arrangement will be by no means so safe as to have all parts of the work fixed and immovable. A storm or a freshet might occur at the time when it became necessary to close the opening, rendering it impossible to maneuver the movable parts, or the occurence of storm or freshet might sweep away these less stable parts at any time prior to the hour of danger, and not allow sufficient time to replace them. The replacement in the presence of an enemy would be an impossibility, and under any circumstances would require more time than would be needed to remove a portion of the fixed a portion of the fixed works sufficient to give passage