HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA, Dublin Depot, January 9, 1863.

Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War:

SIR: An intelligent officer, whom I sent to the Kanawha River to ascertain the numbers and position of the enemy in and near the valley, returned a few days since, and reports the following,viz: At Fayetteville, the Twelfth, Twenty-eighth, and Ninety-first Ohio, and Fourth [West] Virginia Regiments, and two batteries (McMullin's and Simmonds'); at Laurel Creek, the Eighty-ninth Ohio; At Tompkins' farm (on the Gauley end rear Cotton Hill), the

Forty-seventh Ohio; at Summerville, the Eleventh Ohio; at Gauley Bridge, the Thirty-seventh Ohio and one battery; at Montgomery Ferry, the Twenty-third Ohio; at Loup Creek, the Twenty-seventh [West] Virginia; at Cannelton, the Thirtieth Ohio; at Camp Piatt (about 9 miles this side of Charleston), one regiment of infantry and one of cavalry; at Charleston, the Thirty-sixth Ohio and one battery, and at Coalsmouth, the Eighth [West] Virginia.

I give you the above information, as it may be of service to you in any disposition you may have in contemplation of the troops generally, especially those in this department. It will be seen that the numbers of the enemy, even supposing the regiments to be very much reduced, are much greater than mine in that quarter.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, Army of Northern Virginia, January 9, 1863.

Dr. S. P. MOORE,

Surgeon-General, C. S. Army:

SIR: Herewith I transmit the consolidated monthly report of sick and wounded, and the monthly return of medical officers of this army for the month of November, 1862, together with the list of casualties* in the battle of Fredericksburg. This list is considerably larger than was at first estimated.

At present there are about sixty of variola and varioloid in this army. These cases have invariably occurred among the men who have recently returned to duty from the general hospitals, particularly from Richmond. Could not a system of quarantine be adopted, by which the soldier returning to duty from general hospitals might be retained sufficiently long to insure an immunity from the contagion?

I believe our exemption from a fearful epidemic of small-pox is owing to our present mode of life, viz, bivouacking in the open air. When we go into winter quarters, I fear the health of the troops will not remain so good. There is a tendency to scorbutus throughout the whole army. Unless there is an increase of the vegetable portion of the ration, scurvy make its appearance. None of the component parts of the ration, except flour and unsmoked bacon, with beef occasionally, of inferior, are issued. Vinegar and potatoes are absolutely necessary for the maintenance of the health of the troops, and I would most respectfully request you to impress it upon the Subsistence Department that our next campaign may be a disastrous one, simply for the want of antiscorbutic. The condition of the Army of Northern Virginia is

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*See p.558.

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