transports to New York Harbor. A large supply of ordnance and ordnance stores, provisions for 1,000 men for six months, a cargo of ice and quartermaster's stores will be shipped to you.

The General-in-Chief directs that you detach Captain Clitz, Third Infantry, and order him to report at headquarters as major of a new regiment.

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

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF FLORIDA,
Fort Pickens, June 5, 1861.

Lieutenant Colonel E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General:

COLONEL: Since my last letter I have received three 10-inch columbiads, and about 300 shells and 300 8-inch shells, and I hear that the steamer South Carolina has some mortars for me, but of what kind I have not learned. I have nothing special to report. My defenses are progressing and nearly completed. The weather is hot, but the troops are comparatively healthy. I want officers in consequence of the increased number of guns I have mounted, and of batteries erected. I have not enough to fight the guns. The duty is very hard on officers there is not more than an average of two to a company for company duty, and as the officers are almost all expecting promotion, some may receive orders to leave. It is therefore proper that I should urgently press the sending more, and that I should state to you that I would not consider myself at liberty in the present state of circumstances of my command to permit an officer to leave, should I receive orders to do so, unless others arrived, or until after you shall have had time to act on this letter. I think the safety of my command might be jeopardized by doing so.

It may not be amiss, in consideration of the reports and rumors afloat here, to say that three or four more companies of regulars would be highly desirable, but that a large force of raw troops, whether volunteers or regulars, unless sufficient to enable me to cross to the main and attack the enemy, would be worse than useless. With any number less than 5,000 of such troops I could only act defensively, and all the energies of my command would be exhausted in feeding them. Besides, the hot and sickly season is approaching, and Northern raw levies in this climate would not be efficient for hard service. I think our present position in a strategic view is good. With 800 or 900 men I keep nearly or quite as many thousands from operating elsewhere. If the enemy attacks me I can repel him, and if it be deemed advisable for me to attack him I can destroy the navy-yard and do other great injury. I therefore think that true policy dictates an increase of my command of three or four full companies of regulars for the purpose of securely holding the island in case the ships, by storms or otherwise, be driven off; that it being too late in the season to act offensively, except by this fort, no irregular troops should be sent until fall, and that more officers be immediately sent me.

I would also respectfully urge the necessity of a more prompt and attentive action in answering my requisitions and those of my staff, and would observe that sending sail vessels with stores of any kind should be discontinued. Steam only can be depended on. I renew my appli-