or any other equipments or supplies for the battery or for the company, and such as may be furnished will be accepted only at a fair valuation.

The remaining topics of your letter shall receive due consideration, and your requisitions for ammunition, &c., are referred to the attention, of the Chief of Ordnance.

Very respectfully,

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Acting Secretary of War.

NORFOLK, October 26, 1861

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN:

A Federal soldier's hat was picked up to-day at Colonel Taylor's farm, near Willoughby's Point, 3 1/2 miles from Old Point. It contained two Boston papers, one of the 19th and one of the 21st. They contain important development as to the destination of the great expedition. The gunboats are to concentrate in Hampton Roads, and the transports are to repair to Annapolis, and there embark a force of 25,000 men, under General Sherman. Several of the larger steamers are loaded with surf-boats. The papers state that the expedition is intended for Charleston and other places on our coast. At sundown the lookout reports over 100 sail of vessels in the Roads. They are arriving and departing continually. The main part of the expedition is still at the Roads, and great activity prevails in the fleet. Will send papers by Monday's mail.

JAS. F. MILLIGAN,

Captain, Signal Officer, Department of Norfolk.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR GEN.'S OFFICE, Numbers 190.
Richmond, October 26, 1861.

* * * * *

XIII. The State of Georgia will hereafter constitute a separate department, to be designated the Department of Georgia the command of which is assigned to Brigadier-General Lawton, headquarters Savannah, Ga.

XIV. The Department of Middle and Eastern Florida, announced in paragraph XII, Special Orders, Numbers 130., Adjutant and Inspector-General's Office, of August 21, 1861, will extend west of Chocatawhatchee River.

* * * * *

By command of Secretary of War:

JNO. WITHERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Tallahassee, October 28, 1861

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War:

SIR: The special order by which the Chattahoochee River is established as the line between the two military departments of Florida excludes Apalachicola and Saint Andrew's Bay from the department to which General Trapier has been assigned, both places being west of the river, and therefore in West Florida. It may be best that these places should be in General Bragg's department, for the following reasons, viz: