[Inclosure A.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF FLORIDA,
Fort Pickens, Fla., April 17, 1861.

Brigadier General BRAXTON BRAGG,

Commanding Troops of Confederate States near Pensacola, Fla.:

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that I have arrived at this post, and that I shall, unless assailed, act only on the defensive, and make only such disposition of my forces as is necessary to protect them from any enemy, foreign or domestic. I have also to inform you that no movement of the troops of my command or of United States vessels in this vicinity will have any other than a defensive object, unless we shall unhappily be compelled to act offensively, repelling aggression against the flag, persons, or property of our country.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

HARVEY BROWN,

Colonel, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS Numbers 3.
HDQRS. DEP'T OF FLORIDA,

Extract.
Fort Pickens, April 18, 1861.

Fort Pickens is hereby announced as the headquarters of the Department of Florida:

* * * *

By order of Colonel Brown:

GEO. L. HARTSUFF,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF FLORIDA,
Fort Pickens, April 19, 1861.

Lieutenant Colonel E. D. KEYES,

Secretary to the General-in-Chief, Washington, D. C.:

COLONEL: I respectfully report for the consideration, and I hope for the approval, of the General-in-chief the reasons inducing me to urge on Captain Meigs and Lieutenant Porter a delay in forcing an entrance into the harbor of Pensacola. Aware of the desire of the government that a ship should be placed there, and knowing that i was opposing the wishes of Captain Meigs, nothing but a profound sense of its necessity would have induced interference on my part; but, believing if the actual state of this post at this time were known that no such instructions would have been given, I did not hesitate to express my views and wishes in the case.

As I have already reported to you, I found this post in the worst possible condition for hostilities-the batteries out of order; some of the largest and most important guns dismounted; the necessary traverses and other protection for the troops unprepared; the garrison deficient; the subsistence nearly exhausted; the ammunition (except powder) not sufficient in important articles for one day's service; a total want of Engineer Quartermaster, and Ordnance tools and implements, and the for tin a complete state of confusion, all requiring the labor of every man in it; the steamer Atlantic lying here with large supplies of indispensable stores, which can only-without extreme inconvenience, involve-