excepted) could be completed in fifteen days. At present eighty-one hands are at work building traverses. An additional force of 120 negroes may be expected to arrive to-day or to-morrow.

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

V. SHELIHA,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Chief Engineer District of the Gulf.

[Inclosure Numbers 2.] ENGINEER OFFICE, Mobile, July 10, 1864.

Captain J. V. GALLIMARD,

Engineer in Charge Lower Bay Line:

CAPTAIN: You will take charge of the lower bay line, consisting of Forts Morgan, Gaines, and Powell, the works on Little Dauphin Island and Cedar Point, and all channel obstructions. You will establish your headquarters at Fort Morgan. Messrs. Neville, Biberon, and Mader will act as your assistants. Your attention is respectfully called to the order in which your operations will be conducted:

I. FORT MORGAN.

1. Every gun must he placed in its own chamber, formed by heavy side traverses, also by rear traverses for those guns exposed to reverse fire.

2. Prepare platforms on the enceinte of the fort for the guns now mounted on the main rampart, which is liable to be destroyed by the enemy's fire.

3. Protect the scarp-wall of those faces exposed to direct fire by cribs or timber-work filled with sand.

4. Construct a gallery through the whole length of the citadel according to the accompanying sketch.

5. Protect the casemates of the WEST face by heavy traverses.

6. Fill up the parade of the fort with sand to a height of five feet.

7. Build a traverse in front of main sally-port.

8. Complete the new line across the peninsula.

9. Give the party charged with the placing of torpedoes all assistance in your power.

II. FORT GAINES.

1. The columbiads of the bastionettes are to be transferred to the curtains of south and southwest faces.

2. Protect all guns by heavy traverses. See instructions regarding Fort Morgan.

3. Increase thickness of parapet by filling up the chemin-de-ronde up to four feet three inches of crest of detached scarp-wall.

4. Lower revetment of bastionettes to the cordon.

5. Protect scarp-wall by cribs of timber-work filled with sand.

6. Construct the proposed line across Dauphin Island with a battery of three heavy pieces on the point selected one mile WEST of the fort.

7. Complete the wharf in process of construction.

III. FORT POWELL.

1. Mount at once the guns on east face.

2. Build the parapet and traverses of east face.

3. Complete the work on proposed plan.