time, and in the face of the enemy, I trust we may rationally adjust our relative commands, and harmoniously co-operate, by your detaching from my command all the forces except my Legion and leaving that in the category described by General Lee. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, HENRY A. WISE, Brig. Gen. Henry A. Wise will take up the line of march to-morrow at 7.30 a. m., and proceed with all the forces under his command in the direction of the Kanawha Valley, by way of the James River and Kanawha turnpike. He will place, for the march, his artillery next to his advanced guard of cavalry, and his horse in the rear of his column. By order of Brig. Gen. John B. Floyd, commanding, &c.: WILLIAM E. PETERS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Floyd's Brigade. HEADQUARTERS WISE'S DIVISION, Brig. Gen. JOHN B. FLOYD, Commanding Forces, &c.: SIR: I have received your note of orders for 7.30 o'clock to-morrow morning. The part relating to the cavalry will require Colonel Davis to be notified to fall back with his command in your advance, in order to comply with your order to proceed with my whole command and to place a portion of my cavalry in front and rear. Colonel Davis and Lieutenant-Colonel Croghan have been stationed, under your orders, where, exactly, I do not know. Will you please have a messenger dispatched to Colonel Davis to fall back and meet me on the march, to form the order of march under your command? A portion of the cav alry of my command are at Meadow Bluff, and I will order them up immediately. Am I to consider the detachment of artillery which you borrowed as included in your order in respect to my whole command ? They have not yet been detached from my command, and were to be returned to me in a week. We are deficient in wagons. It will be difficult to take our ammunition or to move with all our baggage and tents. Can you assist us with wagons? Very respectfully, HENRY A. WISE, No. 16.] Brig. Gen. HENRY A. WISE: CAMP WISE, VA., August 19, 1861. SIR: General Floyd's order of this date is hereby countermanded in so far as you will take up the line of march to-morrow at 9.30 a. m., instead of at 7.30 a. m., as specified in said order. Colonel Davis had orders from General Floyd yesterday to report to him at these headquarters, for the purpose of taking command of the cavalry here, with a view to its better organization. A copy of said order is herewith sent you. General Floyd was not aware until the receipt of your letter of the absence of Colonel Davis from the command temporarily assigned him here. As requested, Colonel Davis will be ordered to fall back and meet you on your march. General Floyd will detach from your command all the forces not belonging to your Legion, hence the detachment of artillery at these headquarters is not included in his order in respect to your command. As stated in a former communication to you, General Floyd is deficient in the means of transportation. If, however, he ascertains tomorrow morning that he can spare any wagons, it will afford him very great pleasure to place them at your command. By older of Brig. Gen. John B. Floyd, commanding forces, &c.: WILLIAM E. PETERS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Floyd's Brigade. To the PRESIDENT: MANASSAS, August 19, 1861. Mr. PRESIDENT: On the 22d of July, just before Brigadier-General Holmes returned to Fredericksburg, he, General Beauregard, and myself agreed as to the expediency of erecting at Evansport a work capable of resisting a coup de main. This work, it was further agreed, General Holmes was to have constructed immediately. He selected for its armament five of the captured guns, the 30-pounder and two small Parrott ritles, and two 12-pounder howitzers, which I had sent to him a day or two after. I was much surprised yesterday to learn that the work had not been commenced. We think it of great importance; that its effect would be to prevent the turning that position on its right by the enemy. It will therefore be begun by us. The guns which General Holmes still has should be sent to the place, however, and for the thorough command of the Potomac three or four of the large rifles, which it is understood have been made in Richmond, should be added, and a detachment from Fredericksburg might, I think, be advantageously employed in conjunction with ours. While on this subject may I suggest that this frontier of the Potomac would better form one command than two? Colonel Wigfall has reported, and without other field officers. I was glad to find it so, because it gives me a hope that you will believe that my Texan friend, R. A. Howard, is the fittest Texan living for military service. He served with me four years in Texas on Indian service. In that I formed the highest opinion of his military character-an opinion which I shared with his West Point associates of highest standing, such as Whiting, Bee, and E. K. Smith. He accompanied Bee in the recent campaign. In the battle I had an opportunity to observe him, and was delighted with his conduct and enthusiastic courage. Colonel Wigfall says that this appointment would be agreeable to him. We hear of several officers as in Richmond who would be of great value here, Colonels Van Dorn and Walker among them. We require more brigade commanders. It seems to me that our whole strength is to be put forth. In this connection let me recommend as two of the best officers whose services we can command, G. W. Smith and Lovell. They are as fit to command divisions as any men in our service. Smith is a man of high ability, fit to command in chief. These two have not come forward, because, not belonging to seceded States, they didn't know how officers would be received. Perhaps they have not taken the right course. At any rate they have always wanted to serve us. They are now in Lexington, Ky. I venture to recommend, too, from the importance of his position, that our chief quartermaster have the provisional rank of colonel. Most respectfully, your friend and obedient servant, General JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON: TON. J. E. JOHNSTO RICHMOND, VA., August 20, 1861. GENERAL: Frequent complaints have been made to me of improper food for the well and a want of care for the sick. I most respectfully invite your attention to both these subjects, and hope that abuses may be promptly corrected. Is it not practicable to construct bake-ovens at or near Manassas, that good bread may be supplied to the troops! The main complaint is of bad bread and of inattention to the sick. I have repelled grumblers, but the clamor has increased in specifications until I have deemed it proper to obtain the facts from you. Captains and colonels, instead of correcting evils by personal attention, seem to have been the sources of no small part of the impressions received and circulated. I have for some time designed to organize a medical board to examine the appointees, and hope soon to do so. Your friend, JEFFERSON DAVIS. BIG SEWELL, VA., August 20, 1861-8.15 a. m. Capt. WILLIAM E. PETERS, Assistant Adjutant-General, &c., Floyd's Brigade: SIR: Please inform General Floyd that, owing to one of my infantry ammunition wagons breaking down, I fear delay in advancing at the hour ordered, but every means of transportation shall be exerted. Respectfully, HENRY A. WISE, General HENRY A. WISE: CAMP WISE, VA., August 20, 1861. SIR: I am instructed by General Floyd to say to you that he cannot spare you any wagons. He finds that he has not enough, by a good many, for the transportation of the equipments of his own people and their provisions. By order of Brig. Gen. John B. Floyd: No. 17.] WILLIAM E. PETERS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Floyd's Brigade. DEET'S, AT FOOT OF SUNDAY ROAD, VA., Brig. Gen. JOHN B. FLOYD, Commanding, &c. : afterwards from the Sunday and Hopping roads, reporting they were fired upon, and I heard three volleys, apparently from the Hopping road. Our scouts killed 2 on the Sunday road, and Lieutenant-Colonel Croghan had two encounters on the turnpike; the first about one and a half miles beyond Piggot's, killing 2 and taking 2 prisoners of the enemy. The second was about 2 p. m., half mile this side of Hawk's Nest, at Hamil ton's, losing 1 man of Captain Buchanan's company, and 3 wounded. The latter are in a wagon, sent back to a surgeon. A surgeon, if possible, should be sent to the cavalry in front. Colonel Croghan has been met by about 580 of the enemy at Hawk's Nest, and he was obliged to retire. He will report more in detail to you. Having executed your special orders, I send him back to bring up the cavalry of my Legion in the rear. Several companies are there, refitting and recruiting men and horses exhausted and worn-out by excessive scouting. Several troops of your brigade are very much shattered, and I have ordered Colonel Croghan to take them to the rear to get horses and some grain. I will order the best of the cavalry to be detailed for an advance guard. I think the enemy will be in force tonight at Hawk's Nest, and we ought to have a strong artillery and infantry force at Dogwood Gap and upon the Sunday and Hopping roads. The advance should be made to-night. HENRY A. WISE, Brigadier-General. HEADQUARTERS, General HENRY A. WISE, Valley Mountain, Va., August 21, 1861. Commanding Wise's Legion, Camp, Sewell Mountain, Va.: GENERAL: I have received your letter of the 18th instant, and, according to your request, have issued the accompanying special orders, of this date, placing the Twenty-second and Thirty-sixth Regiments of Virginia Volunteers subject to the assignment of the commanding general of the Army of the Kanawha, and confining your immediate command to that of the Wise Legion, as organized, by direction of the War Department. It is proper, as well as necessary, for the commanding general to organize his troops in the field according to the exigencies of the service. It also becomes necessary to detach troops for special service from their appropriate brigades, and thus place them temporarily under other commanding officers. The rights of officers are not thereby violated, provided they are under their senior in rank, whose orders are always respected and obeyed in well-constituted armies. The necessities of war require the organization of the forces to be adapted to the service to be performed, and sometimes brigades and separate commands have to be remodeled accordingly. This must be done in accordance with the judgment of the commanding officer. The transmission of orders to troops through their immediate commanders is in accordance with usage and propriety. Still, there are occasions when this cannot be conformed to without detriment to the service. Obedience to all legal orders is nevertheless obligatory upon all officers and soldiers. These remarks are not supposed to be necessary for your information, but to show why I have not considered orders on the subject necessary. Feeling assured of the patriotism and zeal of the officers and men composing the Army of the Kanawha, I have never apprehended any em barrassment or interference in the execution of their respective duties believing they would make everything yield to the welfare of the republic. I remain, with high esteem, your obedient servant, [Inclosure.] R. É. LEE, General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS, SPECIAL ORDERS, Valley Mountain, W. Va., August 21, 1861. I. The Twenty-second and Thirty-sixth Regiments Virginia Volunteers, under Colonels Tompkins and McCausland, will be formed into a distinct brigade, or be attached to other brigades of the Army of the Kanawha, as the commanding general of that army may determine. II. The Wise Legion, as organized, under the directions of the Secretary of War, will be under the immediate command of General H. A. Wise. III. The militia called into the service of the Confederate States, together with all the troops operating in the Kanawha Valley, will be subject to the orders and under the control of the commanding general of the Army of the Kanawha. No. 18.] Brig. Gen. JOHN B. FLOYD: R. E. LEE. General, Commanding. CARNIFIX FERRY, W. VA., SIR: Yesterday you left two pieces of artillery at Dogwood Gap, which have been ordered to this point this morning. These, added to my eight pieces, make ten under my command. Your verbal orders to me now are to have four pieces of artillery crossed over the Gauley this evening, with one of my regiments of infantry. Permit me to inquire whether you order four of my pieces in addition to your own? And will you please state in written orders the points you wish me to occupy with the remaining portions of my Legion. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, HENRY A. WISE, CARNIFIX FERRY, W. VA., August 22, 1861. HENRY A. WISE, Brigadier-General: SIR: You will please send me four pieces of your artillery in addition to my own two; also one of your regiments (the strongest), to have crossed over the Gauley this evening. You will likewise please send me early to-morrow-say 7 a. m.-100 of your most efficient horse. With the remainder of the force under your command you will take such a position as will enable you to watch the movements of the enemy and to check any advance by them. I understand that the regiments commanded respectively by Colonels McCausland and Tompkins are on the march from the White Sulphur and are to-day near you. Should the force of your command, after making the above deductions, be deemed inefficient for the purpose of watching the enemy and checking |