to my orders, in collecting beef cattle, leather, &c., in the counties of Hampshire and Hardy. The difficulty of getting out leather is the want of transportation, but I hope that we shall secure some. I will have a report made to the quartermaster and commissary generals of the quantity of leather and number of cattle that may be obtained for the army.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, October 19, 1862.

Major-General LONGSTREET,
Commanding Corps:

GENERAL: Please inform me how far General McLaws has destroyed the Harper's Ferry and Winchester Railroad, and to what point he reached. If he has gone as far as he can with safety, then let him set to work upon the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, with as many men as he can profitably work. He can report to General Jackson or not, as you prefer.

As regards the flour, I will speak to Colonel Cole about assigning mills to different divisions, as you suggest. If the commissary that engages the flour from the different will leave with the miller a certificate, to show that they have spoken for the flour for a certain time, it should not be interfered with by another commissary. If General McClaws' commissary has neglected this he has no cause to complain, and if General Hill's have violated it, they have done wrong. Front Royal is not more than 25 miles from here, and it should not take the wagons a week to make the trip. It is impossible for me to say when the emergency may arise for us to move, and I would not recommend that you send wagons that would be necessary for that purpose. If you send your subsistence train only, it could join you wherever you did move.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS, October 19, 1862.

General McLAWS:

Will General McLaws please answer the questions, and ascertain from General Jackson how many men he can work, and supply them? The news of yesterday, from General Bragg's army, is confirmed by another dispatch of to-day.

Most respectfully,
JAMES LONGSTREET,

Major-General.

43 R R-VOL XIX, PT II