ate of the enemy's loss, at Murfreesborough, from 12,000 to
20,000, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, and ours at from four to nine
thousand. Bragg says he will fight again near the same place, and his
men are in high spirits.

Our men fight to _kill_ now, since the emancipation doom has been
pronounced. But we have had a hard rain and nightly frosts, which will
put an end to campaigning during the remainder of the winter. The
fighting will be on the water, or near it.

The legislature is in session, and resolutions inimical to the passport
system have already been introduced. But where are State Rights now?

Congress meets to-morrow.

JANUARY 13TH.--The generals in North Carolina are importunate for
reinforcements. They represent the enemy as in great force, and that
Weldon, Goldsborough, Raleigh, and Wilmington are in extreme peril. Lee
cannot send any, or, if he does, Richmond will be threatened again, and
possibly taken.

How shall we live? Boarding ranges from $60 to $100 per month. Our
landlord says he will try to get boarding in the country, and if he
succeeds, probably we may keep the house we now occupy, furnished, at a
rent of $1200, for a mere robin's nest of four rooms! But I hope to get
the house at the corner of First and Casey, in conjunction with Gen.
Rains, for $1800. It has a dozen rooms.

JANUARY 14TH.--Gen. Beauregard, some of whose forces have been taken
from him and sent to the defense of Wilmington, is apprehensive that
they may be lost, in the event of the enemy making a combined naval and
land attack, and then Charleston and Savannah would be in great peril.
Gens. Smith and Whiting call lustily for aid, and say they have not
adequate means of defense.

Some 4000 more negroes have been called for to work on the
fortifications near Richmond. I believe 10,000 are at work now.

A letter "by order" of the Secretary of War to Col. Godwin, in King and
Queen County, written by Judge Campbell, says that blockaders are
allowed to run through, provided they be not suspicious parties. The
government takes what it wants at seventy-five per cent. and releases
the rest. The parties are liable to have their goods confiscated by the
Secretary of the Treasury, who, however, the letter proceeds to say, has
never molested any one in the illicit trade--smuggling.

In Congress, yesterday, Mr. Foote called for a committee to investigate
the commissary's contract with Haxhall, Crenshaw & Co., and was
partic