for
peace!--Gen. Lee on negro soldiers.--Conventions in Georgia and
Mississippi.

FEBRUARY 1ST.--Clear and pleasant; subsequently thawing and foggy. Gen.
R. E. Lee has been appointed General-in-Chief by the President, in
response to the recent action of Congress and the clamorous demands of
the people. It is to be hoped he will, nevertheless, remain in person at
the head of the Army of Virginia, else the change may be fraught with
disaster, and then his popularity will vanish! He has not been fortunate
when not present with the troops under his command, as evidenced by
Early's defeat and Jones's disaster in the Valley last year. A general
must continue to reap successes if he retains his popularity.

Gen. Lee has called upon the people everywhere to send in any cavalry
arms and equipments in their possession--the importation being stopped.

The report of a raid yesterday, grew out of the return to the city of a
small body of our own cavalry that had been on detached service. Quite
an alarm was raised!

The President was better yesterday; it is neuralgia in the right
shoulder, disabling his arm.

Our "commissioners" were delayed until yesterday morning at Petersburg;
during which there was a sort of truce, and the troops of the opposing
fortifications ventured out, both sides cheering vociferously.

Gen. Lee writes that his army is suffering for want of soap. The
Secretary sends the letter to Commissary-General Northrop (neither of
their successors being inducted yet) for "prompt attention." The
Commissary-General sends it back, saying 800 barrels of soap are now,
and have been for _months_, lying at Charlotte, N. C., awaiting
transportation! The speculators get from Charlotte that much freight
every week. The Commissary-General says 800 barrels of soap ought to
last Gen. Lee's army one month. It must be a large army to consume that
amount of soap in a month.

Yesterday Congress passed another bill over the President's veto, to
allow soldiers to receive letters, etc. free. Thus the war progresses
between the executive and the legislative branches of the government.

In future revolutions, never let a "permanent government" be established
until independence is achieved!

FEBRUARY 2D.--Bright and beautiful, and pleasantly frosty. Gen. Sherman
is advancing as usual in such dubiety as to distract Gen. Hardee, who
knows not whether Branchville or Augusta is his objective point. I
suppose Sherman will be