Last night a lady swam the Shenandoah to let us know that the enemy were being re-enforced, and the first aim would be to destroy our woolen factories along the Shenandoah; also our large flouring mills. This will be done. The delay heretofore has been caused by the shipping of some 20,000 bushels of wheat seized at Harper's Ferry..

This done, our whole country must be devastated, and, to say nothing of mills, slaves, and other valuable property, all the gain in stack or garner will be burned up.

General Carson's headquarters are at Winchester, distant 30 miles from the enemy, and while all these things are transpiring he has never been in the county or visited our post.

Written in much haste.

With high consideration, your obedient servant,

JAMES L. RANSON.

CAMP OF FIFTY-SECOND VIRGINIA REGIMENTS, Top of Alleghany Mountains, October 16, 1861.

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN, Acting Secretary of War:

SIR: Having been stationed at this place with my regiment for two weeks past, I hope it will not be considered a violation of any of the rules of the service if I address to you directly a suggestion or two, involving, as I believe, the safety of my command and of all the Confederate forces on this time.

You are no doubt aware that the army on this line cannot depend upon the surrounding country for supplies of any kind. The country at the best is sparsely populated, and produces no surplus of any kind of provision except live stock, and the troubles of the times have brought upon the people an unusual scarcity of all kinds of supplies. The only points from which any supply of food or forage has been drawn in the past are the Hardy Valley and the region about Staunton, and there is no other promise for the future so far as I know. As to the Hardy Valley, the supply has been much interrupted by incursions of the enemy, who have succeeded in capturing some of our trains and have produced men to engage in the transportation of supplies to our army. At the best the distance from this point to Petersburg is at least 70 miles, and the road one which in winter would hardly be practicable for loaded wagons. As to the other route, from Staunton, the distance to this point is 60 miles, and to the principal camp at Greenbrier River is 68. The road in summer is good, but in winter may fairly be said to be impassable for wagons, and even now is in such a condition as to require the constant services of a large force to keep it in a tolerable condition. Since I have been stationed at this rations of corn, and for nearly all the time they have been wholly without forage of any kind. They are now subsisting upon the only hay to be procured within 10 miles of the camp, and that supply is only for a very few days.

I by no means seek to obtain information which in the discretion of my superior officers is withheld from me, but if it is the purpose of the Government to retain troops upon this line, it seems to me to be of high, concern to know that a single snow-storm, such as is by no means uncommon in these mountains at this reason, would starve every horse in this army, and, unless the other troops are supplied differently from