2D, SUNDAY.--I watch the daily orders of Adjutant and
Inspector-Gen. Cooper. These, when "by command of the Secretary of War,"
are intelligible to any one, but not many are by his command. When
simply "by order," they are promulgated by order of the President,
without even consulting the Secretary; and they often annul the
Secretary's orders. They are _edicts_, and sometimes thought very
arbitrary ones. One of these orders says liquor shall not be introduced
into the city; and a poor fellow, the other day, was sentenced to the
ball-and-chain for trying to bring hither his whisky from Petersburg. On
the same day Gov. Brown, of Georgia, seized liquor in his State, in
transitu over the railroad, belonging to the government!

Since the turning over of the passports to Generals Smith and Winder, I
have resumed the position where all the letters to the department come
through my hands. I read them, make brief statements of their contents,
and send them to the Secretary. Thus all sent by the President to the
department go through my hands, being epitomized in the same manner.

The new Assistant Secretary, Judge Campbell, has been ordering the
Adjutant-General too peremptorily; and so Gen. Cooper has issued an
order making Lieut.-Col. Deas an Acting Assistant Secretary of War, thus
creating an office in defiance of Congress.

NOVEMBER 3D.--The right wing of Lee's army has fallen back as far as
Culpepper County, and the enemy advances. Active movements are speedily
looked for; many suppose a desperate attempt to take Richmond.

Our government has decided that _no one_ shall be permitted to go North
for thirty days.

A requisition for heavy guns to defend Cumberland Gap, elicited from the
Inspector of Ordnance a statement of the fact that we are "short" of
guns for the defense of Richmond.

There was a rumor yesterday that the enemy was marching in force on
Petersburg. This, at all events, was premature.

A letter from Hon. C. C. Clay, Senator, says there is much defection in
North Alabama, and that many people are withdrawing themselves to avoid
conscription.

Just at this time, if it were not for Lincoln's proclamation, if the war
were conducted according to the rules of civilized nations, I verily
believe a very formidable party in favor of RECONSTRUCTION might spring
up in the South. With a united South, two million of Abolitionists could
not subjugate us.

NOVEMBER 4TH.--An expose of funds in the hands of disbursi