JACKSON, MISS., April 14, 1863-12 m.

The court met pursuant to adjournment.

Present, all the members of the court, the judge-advocate, and Major-General Lovell.

The proceedings of yesterday were read over.

The judge-advocate then read in evidence to the court a certified copy of the official correpondence between Major General M. Lovell and the War Department (hereto appended, and marked document A),* and certified copies of the official reports of Major-General Lovell and Brigadier-General Duncan upon the fall of New Orleans and the passage of Forts Jackson and Saint Philip. (Hereto appended, and marked document B and C.+)

General Lovell then offered in evidence the letter-book of Department Numbers 1, for the purpose of supplying the omission of certain letter he had written to the War Department, already referred to and hereafter to be mentioned in his testimony, and to show his conduct while in command of said Department Numbers 1, special reference to be made to such of its contents as will be used for the purposes indicated.

The judge-advocate admitted the genuineness of said letter-book, when it was received in evidence by the court.

The court adjourned to meet at 7 p. m. the 15th instant.

JACKSON, MISS., April 15, 1863-7 p. m.

The court met pursuant to adjournments.

Present, all the members of the court, the judge-advocate, and Major General Lovell.

The proceedings of yesterday were read over.

It was ordered by the court that Mr. R. Hammett be employed as an additional clear, to aid the judge-advocate.

The judge-advocate then stated to the court that a question would arrive as to the jurisdiction of this court to inquire into the conduct of naval officers on duty in Department Numbers 1, at the time Forts Jackson and Saint Philip were passed by the enemy's fleet, and that he was of was thereupon ordered by the court that the judge-advocate communicate the question for decision to the Adjutant and Inspector General by telegraph, and in the following words:

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: The court of inquiry instruct me to ask whether it is intended to restrict them in their investigation and opinion to the conduct of officers of the Army, or is it their duty to inquire into and express their opinion upon the conduct of the officers of the Navy, so as to embrace the whole subject of the capture, defense, and evacuation of New Orleans?

L. R. PAGE,

Major, Adjutant-General's Department, Judge-Advocate.

The court adjourned to meet at 10 a. m. to-morrow.

APRIL 16, 1863-10 a. m.

The court met pursuant to adjournment.

Present, all the members of the court, the judge-advocate, and Major General Mansfield Lovell.

The proceedings of yesterday were read over.

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*Not found. This is probably the correspondence referred to in message of President Davis. See Numbers 9, p. 654.

+See pp. 510, 521.

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