Officers of the general staff other than aides-de-camp will not follow their chief when he may receive a new assignment or promotion.

By careful selections it will be made the interest of a general to desire officers of the highest grade allowed, and such will probably be the usual practice; but when it may be otherwise a staff officer may be assigned to a general of less grade than that corresponding to his own.

[MARCH 27, 1865. - For Lee to Breckinridge, in relation to raising negro troops, see Series I, VOL. XLVI, Part III, p. 1356.]

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA,

WAR DEPARTMENT, NITER AND MINING BUREAU,

Richmond, March 28, 1865.

General R. E. LEE,

Commanding C. S. Armies:

GENERAL: I inclose the original and a copy of a letter addressed to the Secretary of War, with an indorsement from him which directs me to refer it to the commanding officers. * These duplicates are sent with the rest that if meeting your approval one may be forwarded to General Johnston and the other to the officer commanding in Southwest Virginia.

If this call for detailed men is made general, two-thirds of them will be lost to the service entirely; they will desert rather than go into the Army. If the Bureau officers, however, are allowed to select the reliable men as may will be secured for the field as by making the call general, and the balance will remain at work, which is of the utmost importance now. there are many skilled men and founders, keepers, miners, &c., about the furnaces and mines, whose places cannot be supplied; heretofore they have been exempt under all calls.

In this connection I would respectfully call your attention to the fact that the Wythe Lead Mines are vital to the future conduct of the war. Owing to the damage done the works last December by the raiding party under Stoneman no lead has been received from Wythe for some months, and during this time all the surplus heretofore accumulated has been worked up. Operations were resumed, however, on the 22d of this month, and the lead for the opening campaign must come from these mines.

Very respectfully, yours,

RICHARD MORTON,

Colonel and Chief of Bureau.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS C. S. ARMIES,
March 29, 1865.

Respectfully referred to General J. E. Johnston.

The need of ammunition is as great as the need of men. It is necessary to have such men as are absolutely required to make ammunition. The best for service, and such as can be spared, will be selected

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*See March 24, p. 1164.

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