has reached Norfolk, proceed with the Second Regiment of Infantry and Captain Wallace's company of the Third and the corps of artillery to join the command at Norfolk, and Major Gibbes will regard this as an order to him to proceed under to him to proceed under the command of Colonel Henningsen (Colonel Henningsen will procure transportation from the Quartermaster-General), and that Colonel J. Lucius Davis will proceed to Norfolk at the earliest practicable moment with all the cavalry of the Legion and with the two companies of infantry under Colonel Tyler, who will regard this as an order to him to proceed under the command of Colonel Davis. He will transfer Captain Wallace's company of infantry to the Second Regiment, under Colonel Henningsen, to supply the place of the company of Captain Crane, disbanded. Colonel Davis will procure transportation from the Quartermaster-General. In case any of the Legion are still in the west they will be ordered to Norfolk directly, and transportation will be furnished accordingly. Separate orders will be issued to Colonel Green, at Wilmington, N. C., by myself.

Very respectfully,

HENRY A. WISE,

Brigadier-General.

On January 2 I proceeded to Norfolk on my way to Roanoke Island, and Major-General Huger referred to me the letters of which the following are copies:

[1.]

FORT BARTOW, ROANOKE ISLAND, December 29, 1861.

Colonel H. M. SHAW,

Commanding Forces Roanoke Island, Camp Raleigh, N. C.:

COLONEL: I feel it my duty to the cause in which we are engaged to make the following report in relation to the condition of my fort: In the first place, I have only one gun which can possibly bear upon an enemy on the south side of the fort, and an enemy can keep out of the range of that gun, and, with good guns on their vessels, shell us in such a manner as to drive us from our guns without our being able to return her fire, except from this one gun, which is mounted upon a common ship's carriage, and this placed upon a chassis of a columbiad carriage. It is almost impossible to work this chassis so as to traverse the gun, and in its present condition it is my opinion that after firing a few rounds it will become perfectly useless, and in its exposed condition it can be very easily dismounted by the enemy's shot. In the second place, all my other guns are mounted on small ship's carriages and in embrasures, and their field of fire is so limited in extent I am almost certain if an enemy were to come with a large force, say eighteen or twenty gunboats at a time, they would by a general pressure of steam pass our battery without receiving any perceptible injury. The battery is placed in such a position as to render very little protection to the men and guns from an enfilading fire from the enemy's vessels. My opinion of the battery in its present position is that if affords no protection to the defense of the sound; for it the enemy attempt to pass, I firmly believe they can do so despite all I can do to prevent it. I therefore recommend that something be done at once to render the for more efficient.

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

G. H. HILL,

Major, State Provisional Army, Commanding Fort Bartow.

[2.]

HEADQUARTERS FORCES ROANOKE ISLAND, Camp Raleigh, December 30, 1861.

General HUGER, Commanding Department of Norfolk:

GENERAL: Not knowing where to address Brigadier-General Wise, who, as I have learned unofficially, is now in command of this district, I take the liberty of forwarding to you directly the accompanying report of Major G. H. Hill, of the Seventeenth Regiment North Carolina troops, commanding battery at Pork Point, and of submitting at the same time some remarks in reference to the defenses of these waters. I am clearly of the opinion that the defensive works on this island are altogether insufficient, as at present an enemy could pass the above-small battery without coming within range of its guns at all, and the others could be passed without much liability to danger. Impressed with this belief, immediately upon assuming command of the forces on this island I urged upon General Gatlin, commanding Department of North Carolina, the necessity of strengthening the lower battery (Pork Point) by the addition