MONTGOMERY, April 15, 1861.

General BRAGG,

Pensacola:

Merchant vessels belonging to citizens of United States must be permitted to depart without interruption. Strict surveillance, however, regarding dispatches from fort and fleet to Washington Government. Caution your own men against writing, or sending, as to what you are doing.

L. P. WALKER.

ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Montgomery, April 16, 1861.

Brigadier General BRAXTON BRAGG,

Commanding Forces Pensacola Harbor, Warrington, Fla.:

GENERAL: The Secretary of War urges upon you the importance of causing to be built a floating battery, unless you should have special objections to it. The one at Charleston performed admirably in enfilading Fort Sumter, and Captain Hamilton, who superintended it construction, can be sent down to Pensacola to superintend the one to be constructed there.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

MONTGOMERY, April 16, 1861.

Honorable L. P. WALKER,

Secretary of War, Montgomery:

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following statement in relation to my recent visit of Pensacola to your attention:

I left Washington City on the morning of April 7, with a communication from the Secretary of the Navy to Captain Adams, of the United States ship Sabine, and was informed by the Secretary that I would have no difficulty in making the communication to Captain Adams under the existing agreement. I arrived at Pensacola on the morning of the existing agreement. I arrived at Pensacola on the morning of the 11th instant, announced myself to Mr. LeBaron as an officer of the U. S. Navy, who sent an officer with me to General Bragg. I informed General Bragg that I had come from Washington, and desired to communicate with Captain Adams, of the Sabine. He wrote me a pass authorizing me to go to the Sabine, and upon landing it to me he asked if I had dispatches for Captain Adams. I replied that I had not written ones, but that I had a verbal communication to make to him from the Navy Department. I then asked him if I would be permitted to land on my return towards Washington. He replied that I would, provided Captain Adams or myself did nothing in violation of the agreement existing between them. I then left General Bragg and went to the navy-yard, from whence I embarked for the Wyandotte about 4 o'clock p.m. On reaching her I was informed by her commander that he could not carry me out to the Sabine that night, in consequence of the strong wind and rough sea on the bar.

During that evening Lieutenant Slemmer, of Fort Pickens, came on board, and I had a few moments' social conversation with him. I had no dispatches for him whatever, and I gave him no information as to the nature of the communication which I had to make to Captain Adams. Of course he knew, as did every officer on board, that I came from the Navy Department to communicate with Captain Adams. On the next