side with three steamers and a sailing vessel. I have ordered General Parke to advance some 400 of his best marksmen in front of the land batteries to within some 500 or 600 yards of the fort, to annoy their cannoneers. The reduction of the fort is, I think, only a question of time.

I sent General Reno up beyond Elizabeth City to destroy the locks in the Dismal Swamp Canal, and to use his discretion as to other operations in the direction of Norfolk, and with a view to creating a diversion in favor of McClellan, and I hope to hear of the successful termination of his expedition within two yards.

General Foster, who is in immediate command here, is pushing his outposts in the direction of Kinston as rapidly as the present force here will admit. He has also, besides building the railroad bridges across the Trent and Batchelder's Creek, fortified this city in the rear, so that it can be held by a small force when we advance up the country or down the coast.

Our sick list is not decreasing. I hope the Governors of States from which my regiments have been drawn may be authorized to fill them up to the maximum number of 1,000 men each. With the present strength of the regiments our men are worked very hard.

I would again urgently but respectfully request of the Department one good regiment of cavalry, two light batteries of artillery, and the transportation required by my chief quartermaster. The engines, cars, and wagons are absolutely necessary to us here.

Captain Cutting, one of my quartermasters, will bear this to you, and explain to you our wants more fully than I can write in this hurried way.

I have the honor to be, your very obedient servant,

A. E. BURNSIDE,

Major-General, Commanding Department of North Carolina.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington, N. C.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
New Berne, April 29, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following hasty report of the fall of Fort Macon, on Saturday, the 26th instant. The detailed report of the siege will be made in due time by Brigadier-General Parke, who conducted it:

I arrived at the straits leading into Beaufort Harbor on the afternoon of the 23rd instant, and immediately after sent the inclosed demand for the surrender of the fort to Colonel White, the answer to which is inclosed herewith.

On the morning of the 24th I communicated with General Parke, and ascertained that a few more preparations remained to be made in the trenches before the firing commenced. The armament in the trenches consisted of four batteries, as follows: Prouty's battery, 1,200 yards from the fort, consisting of four 8-inch mortars; Morris' battery, 1,300 yards from the fort, consisting of three 30-pounder rifled Parrott guns; Flagler's battery, 1,600 yards from the fort, consisting of four 10-inch mortars; Caswell's battery, 1,200 yards from the fort, consisting of one 12-pounder Dahlgren rifled boat howitzer.

On the afternoon of the 24th I sent an order to General Parke to open fire as soon as possible, which he did at 5 o'clock on the morning

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