respectively, and properly secure and return with your force to your camp. It is supposed that you will not be absent more than three days. You will be careful not to detain at Rodney and bring back here one ton more of transportation than is absolutely necessary, as it is very important every boat should be at the earliest moment at Natchez.

It is needless to remind you that it is necessary to enforce the most exact discipline and order to prevent pilfering, marauding, &c. The products you seize will be carefully invoiced in exact compliance with the terms of General Orders, Numbers 51, headquarters Military DIVISION of WEST Mississippi. Should you any prominent or wealthy rebels, male or female, whose influence in the community at large would make them valuable to us as hostages, I wish them arrested and brought here, to [compel] the restitution of such loyal citizens as have been kidnapped from their plantations by the rebel thieves who surround us.

N. J. T. DANA,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS MOBILE BAY,
September 29, 1864.

Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN, Assistant Adjutant-General:

COLONEL: From refugees who left Mobile last night I learn that Frank Gardner is in command and has a force of from 3,000 to 5,000 negroes laboring incessantly night and day upon their fortifications, sinking flats, scows, and every species of craft to be obtained, across the various channels. The court-house in Mobile has been demolished to obtain brick for this purpose. Formidable batteries are being constructed along the eastern shore of Apalachee and Blakely Rivers from Tensas Station to Vessel Point. They are also putting several batteries on the WEST side of Mobile, upon the line of their outer intrenchments, some four miles from the suburbs of the city. From the best information I can gather some portion of their troops has lately left for Enterprise, Miss., and another portion has gone in the direction of Montgomery. About 3,000 are reported to be about Blakely, and 4,000 or 5,000 in and around Mobile.

I am, colonel, your obedient servant,

G. GRANGER,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF Illinois,
Springfield, Ill., September 29, 1864.

Honorable E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have the honor to inclose Colonel Sweet's last report of observations of our Chicago detective. All previous reports point in the same direction. I think a heavy hand should be laid on these conspirators, but there may be considerations which would deter from immediate action. I respectfully submit the matter to your judgment. I venture to address you directly, because we have promised the strictest secrecy to our detective, who is a prominent man and a member of the order.

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,

HALBERT E. PAINE,

Brigadier-General.

34 R R-VOL XXXIX, PT II.