Battalion to Corinth, Miss., to report to the commanding officer at that place. If the Florida Battalion moves before it becomes necessary to evacuate this place, Lieutenant-Colonel Beard will hand over his written instructions in regard to the destruction of property at Milton and other places to Lieutenant-Colonel Conoley, who will assign that duty to two companies of his battalion.

If, as I trust not be the case, you are forced to evacuate the place, you will proceed with your command as rapidly as possible to Mobile, and thence to Corinth, Miss., and report to the commanding officer at that place.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAM. JONES,

Brigadier-General.

[Inclosure.]

SPECIAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF PENSACOLA, No. 62.
Near Pensacola, Fla., March 8, 1862.

* * * *

II. Colonel Thos. M. Jones, Twenty-seventh Regiment Mississippi Volunteers, is assigned to the command of the First Brigade. Staff officers will report to him accordingly.

By command of Brigadier General S. Jones:

CHAS. S. STRINGFELLOW,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF PENSACOLA,

Pensacola, Fla., March 10, 1862.

Lieutenant-Colonel BEARD,

First Florida Regiment, Deer Point:

SIR: You will proceed to-night to execute the orders given you in my letter of instructions a few days since.* You will take only 100 men, the best and most reliable you have, with three officers. You will start in time to reach the Point, where your work is to begin, by daylight to-morrow morning, and will not commence the work of destruction until it is light, lest some injury might result to persons not aware of your mission. You will burn every saw-mills, planing-mill, sash factory, every foot of lumber, and all boats of every description. If there is any cotton at any of the places you will not fail to destroy it.

You will communicate with the officer or agent having charge of the gunboats, and deliver a letter which I will send you. If those can be towed up the Pensacola, you will, after having completed thoroughly the description of the property I have mentioned, give such assistance in towing them out of danger up the Escambia as you can. If that cannot be done you will destroy the gunboats also.

Instead of burning the Tom Murray, as directed in my former letter, you will after having burned all the property I have stationed, proceed with your command in the Tom Murray up the Escambia as near to Pollard, as you can approach, leave the steamer, and go to Pollard, to act as a guard temporarily of the public property at that place.

Take four days' rations, and as many more as you may have on land, and 40 rounds of ammunition. It is not supposed that you will meet with any opposition, but should there be, you will carry out your orders by force of arms. I rely upon you so to execute your orders that nothing of material value to the enemy shall be left in that vicinity.

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* See p.843, Stringfellow to Beard, March 7.

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54 R R-VOL VI