Abstract from field return of the Army of Northern Virginia, General Robert E. Lee commanding, for October 20, 1864.

Present for duty.

Command. Officers. Men. Aggregate Aggregate

present. present.

First Army 18 .......... 18 21

Corps

(Longstreet).

401 4,967 6,553 11,443

Pickett's

division

Field's 366 3,491 5,285 11,908

division.

Hoke's 336 3,787 5,189 11,770

division.

Total. 1,121 12,245 17,045 35,142

Third Army 18 ........... 18 18

Corps

(Hill).

Heth's 372 4,540 5,685 13,158

division

Wilcox's 405 4,730 6,180 11,975

division.

Mahone's 393 4,368 6,138 13,275

division.

Total. 1,188 13,638 18,021 38,426

Cavalry 15 ........... 15 16

(Hampton).

Hampton's 114 1,330 1,975 6,249

division.

W. H. F. 148 2,834 3,638 6,251

Lee's

division.

Dearing's 77 1,211 1,645 2,574

brigade.

Horse 3 78 89 126

Artillery.

Total. 357 5,453 7,362 15,216

Artillery 8 10 18 18

(Pendleton).

First Army 90 1,744 2,071 2,764

Corps.

Third Army 101 1,618 2,158 3,118

Corps.

Anderson's 61 874 1,092 1,534

corps.

Total. 260 4,246 5,339 7,434

First 158 2,248 2,866 4,625

Military

District,

Department

of North

Carolina

and

Southern

Virginia

(Wise).

Provost 22 194 285 357

Guard

(Bridgford).

Grand 3,106 38,024 50,918 101,200

total.

NOTE.-Hoke's division, serving temporarily in First Army corps, belongs properly to Anderson's corps. Kershaw's division of this (First Army) corps i detached,serving in Valley District. No return received of the troops serving in the Valley District, nor of Jonson's division, of Anderson's corps, nor of the Second and Third Military Districts, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
October 21, 1864.

Honorable SECRETARY OF WAR,

Richmond,

SIR: I consider it very important to supply the garrisons in the forts below Wilmington with thirty days' provisions in case the enemy should succeed in cutting them off from the city. I directed General Whiting to endeavor to obtain provisions for the purpose in North Carolina, but he has not succeeded in doing so, nor do I know that it is in his power. The amount of subsistence issued to the army in Virginia and North Carolina is not sufficient to enable us too retain what is required for those garrisons for the time indicated. We now get bacon for the troops only once in four days, and the commissary department informed Colonel Cole, chief commissary of subsistence of the army, that we must rely on cattle. As the collection of supplies is in the hands of the officers of the commissary of subsistence department,