A battery has been ordered to relieve the one you sent to Chaffin's Bluff at once, and it can go with you as soon as relieved.

W. H. TAYLOR,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[11.]

CHAFFIN'S BLUFF,

May 14, 1862 - 10 a. m.

[Colonel J. B. WALTON,

Commanding Battalion Washington Artillery:]

COLONEL: There are five gun-boats, one the Monitor, at a point not two miles from us, evidently with a considerable body of skirmishers on either side of the river. There are no batteries here but one incomplete one and our battery and no infantry. We expect hot work every minute.

BREWER.

[11.]

ORDERS,
HDQRS. BATTALION WASHINGTON ARTILLERY, Numbers 8.
Bivouac Blakey's Mill-Pond, May 14, 1862.

This command will take up the line of march for the army to-morrow morning, 15th instant, at 5 o'clock. Every preparation will be made to-night for the movement. Reveille will be sounded at 3.30 a. m. to-morrow.

J. B. WALTON,

Colonel of Artillery, Commanding.

[11.]

SPECIAL ORDERS,
ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 112.
Richmond, May 15, 1862.

* * * * *

XXV. The following companies of heavy artillery, viz, Capts. G. T. Whittington's, L. A. Sale's, L. B. McMullan's, samuel D. Preston's, T. T. Pettus', Richard H. Edmondson's, George Bouton's, Alexander Jordan's, W. V. Jordan's, and C. C. Otey's, are hereby organized into a regiment of artillery, under Colonel J. Thomas Goode, as the Fourth Regiment Virginia Heavy Artillery, to serve either as artillery or infantry as the interests of the service may require. The two companies of the regiment serving with Colonel Crump's command and those at the batteries on James River will, as soon as their services can be dispensed with, join the regiment in Richmond.

XXVI. The four companies of Virginia artillery commanded, respectively, by Capts. S. Taylor Martin, John L. Eubank, L. H. Webb, and James V. Brooke will constitute the Twelfth Battalion Virginia Light Artillery, under command of Major F. J. Boggs.

* * * * *

By command of the Secretary of War;

John WITHERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[11.]

HEADQUARTERS,
Camp on Massaponax Hills, May 15, 1862.

Honorable GEORGE W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War, Richmond:

DEAR SIR: I feel very great concern about the course that may be adopted by the Government should the enemy's gun-boats get up to