uries of home, you have met and borne the privations of camp life, the exactions of military discipline, and the rigors of a winter campaign. The rich results of your courage, patriotism, and unfaltering virtue are before you. Intrusted with the defense of this important frontier, you have driven back the immense army which the enemy had sent to invade our country and to establish his dominion over our people by the wide-spread havoc of a war inaugurated without a shadow of constitu tional right and prosecuted in a spirit of ruthless vengeance. By your valor and firmness you have kept him in check until the nations of the earth have been forced to see us in our true character, not dismembered and rebellious communities, but an empire of Confederate States, with a constitution safe in the affections of the people, institutions and laws in full and unobstructed operation, a population enjoying all the comforts of life, and a citizen soldiery who laugh to scorn the threat of subjugation. Your country now summons you to a nobler duty and a greater deed. The enemy has gathered up all his energies for a final conflict. His enormous masses threaten us in the West, his naval expeditions are assailing us upon our whole Southern coast, and upon the Potomac, within a few hours' march, he has a gigantic army, inflamed by lust and maddened by fanaticism. But the plains of Manassas are not forgotten, and he shrinks from meeting the disciplined heroes who hurled across the Potomac his grand army, routed and disgraced. He does not propose to attack this army so long as it holds its present position with undiminished numbers and unimpaired discipline; but, protected by his fortifications, he awaits the expiration of your term of service. He recollects that his own ignoble soldiery, when their term of service expired, "marched away from the scene of the conflict to the sound of the enemy's cannon," and he hopes that at that critical moment Southern men will consent to share with them this infamy. Expecting a large portion of our army to be soon disbanded, he hopes that his immense numbers will easily overpower your gallant comrades who will be left here, and thus remove the chief obstacle to his cherished scheme of Southern subjugation. The commanding general calls upon the twelve-months' men to stand by their brave comrades who have volunteered for the war, to revolunteer at once, and thus show to the world that the patriots engaged in this struggle for independence will not swerve from the bloodiest path they may be called to tread. The enemies of your country, as well as her friends, are watching your action with deep, intense, tremulous interest. Suchi is your position that you can act no obscure part. Your decision, be it for honor or dishonor, will be written down in history. You cannot, will not, draw back at this solemn crisis of our struggle, when all that is heroic in the land is engaged, and all that is precious hangs trembling in the balance. By command of General Johnston: A. P. MASON, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEP'T OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, No. 22. February 5, 1862. I. The division composed of the brigades of Generals Toombs and Wilcox, and that commanded by Col. G. T. Anderson, will hereafter be designated the First Division of the Army of the Potomac, under coinmand of Maj. Gen. G. W. Smith. II. Maj. Gen. Longstreet's division will be designated the Second, Maj. Gen. E. K. Smith's the Third, and that commanded by Brig. Gen. Early the Fourth Division of the Army of the Potomac. By command of General Johnston: A. P. MASON, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, Centreville, Va., February 5, 1862. General S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General: SIR: I respectfully inclose herewith a letter to the President of the Confederate States, and beg that it may be laid before him. Most respectfully, your obedient servant, [Inclosure.] J. E. JOHNSTON, General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, To His Excellency the PRESIDENT: SIR: I have just received from Major-General Jackson a copy of the letter of the Secretary of War to him, directing the evacuation of Romney and withdrawal of our troops to Winchester. On a former occasion I ventured to appeal to your excellency against such exercise of military command by the Secretary of War. Permit me now to suggest the separation of the Valley District from my command, on the ground that it is necessary for the public interest. A collision of the authority of the honorable Secretary of War with mine might occur at a critical moment. In such an event disaster would be inevitable. The responsibility of the command has been imposed upon me. Your excellency's known sense of justice will not hold me to that responsi bility while the corresponding control is not in my hands. Let me assure your excellency that I am prompted in this matter by no love of privileges of position or of official rights as such, but by a firm belief that under the circumstances what I propose is necessary to the safety of our troops and cause. Let me urge you to visit this army again as a matter of great importance. Your presence here now or soon would secure to us thousands of excellent troops, who otherwise will disperse just as the active operations of the enemy may be expected to begin and be very beneficial otherwise. The highest benefit would be your assuming the command. Most respectfully, your obedient servant, J. E. JOHNSTON, General. WINCHESTER, February 6, 1862. His Excellency JOHN LETCHER, Governor of Virginia: ing.. If my retiring from the Army would produce that effect upon our country that you have named in your letter, I of course would not desire *Not found. to leave the service, and if, upon the receipt of this note, your opinion remains unchanged, you are authorized to withdraw my resignation, unless the Secretary of War desires that it should be accepted. My reasons for resigning were set forth in my letter of the 31st ultimo and my views remain unchanged, and if the Secretary persists in the ruinous policy complained of, I feel that no officer can serve his country better than by making his strongest possible protest against it, which, in my opinion, is done by tendering his resignation, rather than be a willful instrument in prosecuting the war upon a ruinous principle. I am much obliged to you for requesting that I should be ordered to the Institute. Very truly, your friend, [Indorsement.] T. J. JACKSON. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, February 10, 1862. I have just received this letter from General Jackson, which I send for your perusal, and with the request that his resignation be sent to me. Be kind enough to return this letter. JOHN LETCHER. General JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON: RICHMOND, February 6, 1862. GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge yours of the 3d instant, with its inclosures. Notwithstanding the threatening position of the enemy I infer from your account of the roads and streams that his active operations must be for some time delayed, and thus I am permitted to hope that you will be able to mobilize your army by the removal of your heavy ordnance and such stores as are not required for active operations, so that whenever you are required to move it may be without public loss and without impediment to celerity. I was fully impressed with the difficulties which you presented when discussing the subject of a change of position to preserve the efficiency of your army. You will, of course, avoid all needless exposure, and when your army has been relieved of every useless incumbrance, you can have no occasion to move it whilst the roads and the weather are such as would involve serious suffering, because the same reasons must restrain the operations of the enemy. In the mean time, as I have heretofore advised you, I am making diligent effort to re-enforce your columns. It may still be that you will have the power to meet and repel the enemy, a course of action more acceptable certainly to both of us, but it is not to be disguised that your defective position and proximity to the enemy's base of operations do not permit us to be sanguine in that result. It is therefore necessary to make all due preparations for the opposite course of events. You will be assured that in my instructions to you I did not intend to diminish the discretionary power which is essential to successful operations in the field, and that I fully rely upon your zeal and capacity to do all which is practicable. I will make inquiry, and, if it be possible to do so, will increase the amount of your railroad transportation. The letter of General Hill painfully impresses me with that which has heretofore been indicated-a want of vigilance and intelligent observation on the part of General Stuart. The officers commanding his pickets should be notified of all roads in their neighborhood, aud sleepless watchfulness should be required of them. The failure to secure either of these two things renders them worse than useless to the commands which rely upon them for timely notice of the approach of an enemy. Please keep me fully and frequently advised of your condition and give me early information if there be anything in which I can aid your operations. Very respectfully, yours, JEFFERSON DAVIS. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, Maj. Gen. T. J. JACKSON, Commanding Valley District: Most respectfully, your obedient servant, J. E. JOHNSTON, General. RICHMOND, February 7, 1862. General JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON and other commanding officers, &c. : SIR: In view of the existing exigencies in the service it is desired to keep the armory in this city at work day and night. For this purpose the Chief of Ordnance has applied for the detail of 200 gunsmiths and machinists from the army, as the only practicable means of effecting the object in view. By direction of the Secretary of War you are therefore requested, immediately on the receipt of this letter, to ascertain what number of such workmen, gunsmiths, and machinists may be in your command, and report their names, companies, and regiments to this office for the infor mation of the Secretary of War. It is desirable that this examination and report should be made with out delay, and that as far as practicable those who are best qualified for the work in view should be designated. Very respectfully, &c., S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, Hon. J. P. BENJAMIN, Secretary of War: SIR: I had the honor to receive your letter of the 3d instant by the last mail. On the 2d instant I sent Lieutenant-Colonel Harrison, Virginia cavalry, with a proposition to Major-General McClellan for an exchange of prisoners of war. That officer was stopped by the enemy's pickets near Falls Church, and his dispatches carried to Brigadier-General Wadsworth, at Arlington. That officer informed Lieutenant-Colonel Harrison that they were promptly forwarded to General McClellan. He waited for the answer until yesterday, when being informed by Brigadier-General Wadsworth that he could form no opinion as to the time when it might be expected, he returned. On receiving your letter in reply to mine in relation to re-enlistments, I directed your orders on that subject to be carried into immediate effect, furloughs to be given at the rate of 20 per cent. of the men present for duty. The order directing recruiting for the war regiments is also in course of execution. In my opinion the position of the valley army ought, if possible, to enable it to co-operate with that of the Potomac. But it must also depend upon that of the enemy and his strength. General Jackson occupied Romney strongly because the enemy was reported to be concentrating his troops, including those supposed to be near Harper's Ferry, at New Creek. I regret very much that you did not refer this matter to me before ordering General Loring to Winchester instead of now. I think that orders from me now, conflicting with those you have given, would have an unfortunate effect-that of making the impression that our views do not coincide, and that each of us is pursuing his own plan. This might especially be expected among General Loring's troops, if they are, as represented to me, in a state of discontent little removed from insubordination. Troops stationed at Moorefield could not well co-operate with those in the northern part of the valley, as the President remarks. Let me suggest that, having broken up the dispositions of the military commander, you give whatever other orders may be necessary. Most respectfully, your obedient servant, J. E. JOHNSTON, General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, Centreville, February 7, 1862. (Received Feb. 10.) General S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General: SIR: The inclosed charges against Brigadier-General Loring were received from General Jackson to-day. The official reports I have received of the condition of General Loring's command make me think the trial of this case necessary to the maintenance of discipline in the Valley District. So many officers of high rank are absent from this department, that I cannot "without manifest injury to the service" assemble an adequate court-martial. The object of this letter is to ascertain if you can detail 4 or 5 officers, of suitable rank, for such a court. Please return the charges. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, [Inclosure.] J. E. JOHNSTON, General. Charges and specifications preferred by Maj. Gen. T. J. Jackson, P. A. C. S., against Brig. Gen. W. W. Loring, P. A. C. S. CHARGE I. Neglect of duty. Specification 1. In this, that Brig. Gen. W. W. Loring, P. A. C. S., did fail to be with his command and see that it was properly encamped |