from the front office. The Secretary never
sees half the letters addressed him, or knows of one-half the attempts
of persons to obtain interviews. The Assistant Secretary's duty is to
dispose of the less important communications, but to exhibit his
decisions.

JANUARY 6TH.--To-day we are all _down_ again. Bragg has _retreated_ from
Murfreesborough. It is said he saved his prisoners, captured cannon,
etc., but it is _not_ said what became of his own wounded. The Northern
papers say they captured 500 prisoners in the battle, which they claim
as a victory. I do not know how to reconcile Bragg's first dispatches,
and particularly the one saying he had the whole field, and would
_follow_ the enemy, with this last one announcing his withdrawal and
retirement from the field.

Eight thousand men were taken from Bragg a few days before the battle.
It was not done at the suggestion of Gen. Johnston; for I have seen an
extract of a letter from Gen. J. to a Senator (Wigfall), deprecating the
detachment of troops from Bragg, and expressing grave apprehensions of
the probable consequences.

A letter was received from R. R. Collier, Petersburg, to-day, in favor
of civil liberty, and against the despotism of martial law.

Senator Clark, of Missouri, informed me to-day that my nephew, R. H.
Musser, has been made a colonel (under Hindman or Holmes), and has a
fine regiment in the trans-Mississippi Department.

Lewis E. Harvie, president of the railroad, sends a communication to the
Secretary (I hope it will reach him) inclosing a request from Gen.
Winder to permit liquors to be transported on his road to Clover Hill.
Mr. Harvie objects to it, and asks instructions from the Secretary. He
says Clover Hill is the point from which the smuggling is done, and that
to place it there, is equivalent to bringing it into the city.

JANUARY 7TH.--To-day I was requested to aid, temporarily, in putting in
operation a new bureau, created by the military authorities, not by law,
entitled the Bureau of Conscription. From conscription all future
recruits must be derived. I found Gen. Rains, the chief, a most affable
officer; and Lieut.-Col. Lay, his next officer, was an acquaintance. I
shall not now, perhaps, see so much of the _interior_ of this moving
picture of Revolution; my son, however, will note important letters. It
is said that Sumner's corps (of Burnside's army) has landed in North
Carolina, to take Wilmington. We shall have news soon.