Joseph Eggleston Johnston to Samuel Cooper

Joseph Eggleston Johnston to Samuel Cooper

 Letter from Joseph Eggleston Johnston to Samuel Cooper, January 30, 1862
Headquarters Department of Northern Virginia,

January 30, 1862.

General S. Cooper,

Adjutant and Inspector-General.

Sir: The execution of War Department General Order No. 1 will greatly reduce the strength of the "one year" regiments of this army. They constitute about two-thirds of the whole number. I respectfully suggest that men to fill those regiments, say twenty or thirty per company, be sent to us as soon as possible.

The Secretary of War proposed to send unarmed regiments to supply the places of the men furloughed. Such regiments would be of little value for some time, but the men composing them, if distributed among our present
[p. 478]
troops and mixed with them in companies, would be valuable at once, and soon equal to the old soldiers.

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

J. E. Johnston, General.