these two regiments. He said that he wished me to request you to send them as soon as you could.

I will communicate your views of the importance of the supplies in Eastern North Carolina to General French. He has gone in person to Williamston. There is nothing of importance from that section since the enemy retired to Plymouth.

Respectfully and truly, yours,

G. W. SMITH,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
November 13, 1862 - 7.30 a. m.

Lieutenant General THOMAS J. JACKSON,

Commanding Second Army Corps:

GENERAL: General Stuart reports that the enemy - infantry, cavalry, and artillery - left Amissville last evening. The infantry at Jeffersonton are also reported to have left, by a citizen, who states that 200 cavalry were all that were left, and they in the saddle ready to go. No movement to cross the Rappahannock or march of Fredericksburg has been discovered. Scouts have been sent to watch, and I will let you know as soon as anything is ascertained. You can advance some of your cavalry of the light corps through the mountains to ascertain if the routes are clear, and thus expedite your movements, when necessary.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,

Richmond, Va., November 14, 1862.

General R. E. LEE,

Commanding Department of Northern Virginia, &c.:

GENERAL: I am about sending an officer to Texas to purchase 1,000 horses, if possible, intending to resell them at cost to the cavalry of your army. I shall use every exertion to get them in time for the spring campaign.

I informed you when here of my apprehension of an insufficient supply of subsistence for the army. I now inclose an extract* of a letter form a commissary in the field in reference to an alleged increase of the ration, which, if correct, leads me to apprehend still greater difficulty in subsisting the troops. Attached to it you will observe a regulation adopted in April last diminishing the ration, in view of our lessened sources of supply. That regulation has not been rescinded; but, on the contrary, is more needed now than ever. The supply of hogs is 100,000 less than it was last year; the failure of the corn crops in Tennessee and Northwestern Georgia renders even this supply to some extent unavailing; the supply of beef is very much less; the wheat crop of Virginia, judging from the receipts here, is less than half what is was last year, and the corn crop of the Southern States is rendered unavailable by the difficulties of transportation. An increase of the ration, under the circumstances, unless absolutely necessary for the existence of the army, had better be dispensed with.

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* Not found.

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