HEADQUARTERS,
Petersburg, Va., December 9, 1862.

General GUSTAVUS W. SMITH,

Commanding Army, &c., Richmond, Va.:

DEAR SIR: I sent you a copy of my letter to General J. G. Foster, U. S. Army; inclosed you have his reply.* You will perceive he conveniently disavows that the acts were done with his knowledge and consent. I cannot well go behind that, and unless instructed otherwise by Saturday next shall reply without further reference.

Yours, very truly,

S. G. FRENCH,

Major-General, Commanding.

P. S.-I have not yet received the affidavits sent you of the outrage in Craven County on women. Send it as soon as possible. I forwarded them to you.

SPECIAL ORDERS, ADJT. AND INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 288.
Richmond, Va., December 9, 1862.

* * * *

XVII. By direction of the President the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is hereby suspended at Salisbury, N. C., and for 10 miles around said place.

* * * *

By command of the Secretary of War:

JNO. WITHERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

Abstract from Field Return of troops commanded by Major General G. W. Smith, December 10, 1862 (headquarters Richmond, Va.).

Present for duty.

Command. Officers. Men. Aggregate Aggregate

present. present

and

absent.

Major General 716 11,254 14,103 19,141

S. G. French,

Department North

Carolina.

Brigadier 174 2,804 3,911 4,826

General W. H.

C. Whiting,

District of the

Cape Fear.

Brigadier 85 1,486 2,017 2,680

General John H.

Winder,

Department of

Henrico.

Brigadier 136 1,628 2,229 2,962

General H. A.

Wise, brigade.

Brigadier 192 3,080 4,128 5,253

General J.

Daniel, brigade.

Brigadier 136 2,341 2,944 3,943

General J. R.

Davis, brigade.

Colonel [T. S.] 97 1,481 1,955 2,457

Rhett, Richmond,

defenses.

Colonel T. J. 23 279 415 488

Page, Chaffin's

Bluff.

Captain S. S. 17 245 377 391

Lee, C. S. Navy,

Drewry's Bluff.

Colonel W. P. 8 119 218 259

Shingler,

cavalry Holcombe

Legion.

Grand total. 1,584 24,717 32,297 42,400

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*See French to Foster, November 27, and Foster's reply, December 4, pp. 466, 470, 471.

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