HEADQUARTERS THIRD BRIGADE, EXPED'S CORPS,
Steamer Empire City, Warsaw Sound, Ga., February 3, 1862.

General THOMAS W. SHERIDAN, &c.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that we succeeded in getting into this harbor yesterday with the two vessels in two of the Empire City without any important damage.

Yesterday the weather was too stormy for vessels to lay alongside each other, and hence nothing could be done toward coaling, watering &c. To-day, however, the weather is moderating,a nd work is going os with all dispatch.

The men are so crowded on board the Cosmopolitan and Boston that I shall be compelled to transfer some from each to the Marion, and the the latter on the expedition, according to the understanding I had with to which quartermaster, Captain Saxton. Part of the medicines to have been forwarded by the medical director have not come to hand, according to the report of the brigade surgeon.

I shall use every endeavor to have the transports ready by the time the naval force shall be ready to move.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. G. WRIGHT,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS EXPEDITIONARY CORPS,
Port Royal, S. C., February 5, 1862.

General M. C. MEIGS,

Washington, D. C.:

DEAR GENERAL: The light-draught steamers, which we understand left New York for this place a long time ago, have not arrived, neither the boats, wagons, &c., which Saxton has been so long expecting.

I fear now, as the season has so far advanced, we shall do little but simple garrison the coast. I am not my own master. My master thus far have been the exigencies created by want of means and facilities for operating in a way desirable to both ourselves and the country at large. Savannah should have been in our possession by this time, not in the way expected by the anxious public on our arrival here; for of all the visionary and impracticable ideas that could have been invented, nothing could have equaled that of marching on Savannah on landing here; but a distinct process, in combination with the Navy, either in besieging if by Montgomery, or taking it by the horns by boldly ascending the Savannah River under cover of the gunboats. For the former mode our siege material has never arrived. For the letter mode the opportunity has now unfortunately passed, and if we can, after such delay (which is no fault of the Army), succeed in cutting off Pulaski's communications we'll do well. My firm conviction is that is the gunboats could have been inducted to enter the river as early as the 17th or 18th of last month, when Wall's Cut was then opened, and the enemy had no guns mounted at Savannah but those on Fort Jackson, Savannah would have fallen without a resistance of five hours duration, but it could not have been taken by the land force alone in that way.

As Savannah seems out of our grasp for the present, we shall go down to Fernandina as soon as the Navy is ready.

Very truly, yours,

T. W. SHERMAN.