Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia,
December 20, 1862
General S. Cooper,
Adjutant and Inspector General:
General: I have the honor to state, in reply to your letter of yesterday, in reference to the mail for these headquarters, that I requested no one cause its detention in Richmond. There is no reason why it should not come up as usual.
In compliance with the recent circular received from your office, I forward to-day a list of wounded and disabled officers of this army, with the exception of one division of Jackson’s corps and the cavalry under General Stuart. These will be forwarded as soon as received. The recent active operations have prevented an earlier compliance with the instructions of the Department in this matter. I have issued a general order requiring all officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates of this army at present disabled by wounds to report as required in Paragraph IV, General Orders, No. 82, Adjutant and Inspector General’s office.
I respectfully return herewith several applications for assignment to enrolling duty, hoping that all such details will be made from the officers unfit for active field service. The number of the latter is so great as to render it essential to the efficiency of the army that all others remain with their commands. I also forward, in accordance with the instructions of the War Department, a list of regiments, brigades, and batteries of Longstreet’s corps and of the cavalry of this army. The list of Jackson’s corps will be forwarded in a few days. In sending men to the army, the officer in charge will know that such as do not belong to commanders in corps of General Longstreet belong to the corps of General Jackson. For the present I request that all for the latter be forwarded to Guiney’s Depot; those of the former to the terminus of railroad transportation (Hamilton’s Crossing).
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R E Lee
General
Source: The War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 21, p. 1068
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2018 February 21
