you leave no doubt as to what must result in case of your refusal; and as the defense, however obstinate, must eventually succumb to the assailing force at my disposal, it is hoped you may see fit to avert the useless waste of life.

This communication will be carried to you under a flag of truce by Lieutenant J. H. Wilson, U. S. Army, who is authorized to wait any period not exceeding thirty minutes from delivery for your answer.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

DAVID HUNTER,

Major-General, Commanding.

Numbers 2. Reports of Brigadier General Henry W. Benham, U. S. Army.

HDQRS. FIRST DIV., NORTH'N DIST., DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,
Fort Pulaski, Cockspur Island, Ga., April 12, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report the conclusion of the operations of the siege of Fort Pulaski, in Savannah River, Georgia, which have resulted in the capture of that fort and its armament and the unconditional surrender of the effective force of the garrison, amounting to 361, of whom 24 were officers, besides about 18 who were sick and wounded. This siege is, as I would remark, the first trial, at least on our side of the Atlantic, of the modern heavy and rifled projectiles against forts erected and supposed to be sufficiently strong prior to these inventions, almost equaling, as it would appear, the revolution accomplished in naval warfare by the iron-clad vessels recently constructed. These operations, with the cordial assistance and co-operation of the naval forces under Flag-Officer F. S. DuPont, have been accomplished by a portion of the troops of my division, for the most part under the immediate direction of Captain W. A. Gillmore, Corps of Engineers, acting brigadier-general and chief engineer of the siege, to whose report (copy of which respectfully forwarded herewith) I have the honor to refer for the details of the operations.

Immediately after our arrival in this department, as you are aware, I visited Tybee Island on the 31st ultimo, and carefully inspected the works being erected there for the direct attack upon this fort, which had been well advanced by General Gillmore, under the direction of that faithful and judicious officer Brigadier General T. W. Sherman, my predecessor in this district. These works consisted of eleven ordnance, extedning along an oblique line of about one and a half miles in length, opposite the southeast face of the fort, the extremities of this line being at distances, respectively, of about 1 and 2 miles from the fort. They were placed with great skill and judgment, and constructed properly, and with as much strength and regularity as the circumstances of the case would permit, and the care and forethought of the engineer in providing for the proper supply of ordnance and other stores that might be needed is worthy of especial mention, the whole arrangement at Tybee Island meeting my entire approval.

Desiring, however, to obtain, if possible, a concentric fire upon the work, I endeavor to arrange with General Viele, commanding at Dau-