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 Letters from General Lee. 325

to aid him in winning a victory, and return to this army, it will be well, but should he be detained there without being able to do any good, it will result in evil. I hope you will have the means of judg- ing of this matter and of deciding correctly. There seems to be no prospect now of General Burnside effecting a junction with General Rosecrans, but it is to be apprehended that he will force General Jones back and thus aid the advance of General Meade. I am, with great respect, your obedient servant,

R. E. Lee, General.

Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia,

September 14, 1863.

His Excellency Jefferson Davis, President Confederate States :

Mr. President : The guns of three battalions of artillery have been called for, to go with General Longstreet, and have been forwarded to Richmond with that object. I think before they go it should be fully ascertained whether they can obtain horses for them in that re- gion. If this cannot be done it would be worse than useless to carry them, as they would not only undergo the wear and tear and damage of transportation, but we might possibly lose them.

AHttle after midnight on September 13th, General Stuart received notice of an intended advance of the enemy's cavalry, and made his preparations accordingly. On the morning of that day they came in force, having crossed the Rappahannock at all the fords, from Stark's on Hazel river to Kelly's. They were supported by a force of infantry. He skirmished with them all day and by 6 o'clock in the evening was pressed back to within half a mile of Cedar Mountain, with the loss, I regret to say, of three pieces of artillery. From this point he fell back after night to the Rapidan to prevent being turned, and to obtain supplies more readily. He was greatly outnumbered, the enemy having three divisions of cavalry with infantry, and he having three brigades, the fourth (Fitz. Lee's) being still at Freder- icksburg. He reports that his men behaved with bravery and that he took a considerable number of prisoners. He left a picket force in front of the enemy at Cedar Mountain, and I have heard nothing from him this morning. It maybe a reconnoissance in force merely, but I have made preparations in case it should be an advance of his whole force. I have been informed that the New York Herald of the 9th instant contained the movement of Longstreet' s corps in the