ENGINEER OFFICE,

Mobile, August 10, 1864.

Captain ROBERTSON,

Commanding Battery Huger:

Shall send you six additional heavy pieces, besides some field artillery. Colonel Gindrat will see you this morning.

V. SHELIHA,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Chief Engineer.

MOBILE, August 11, 1864.

Honorable J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War:

Raid preparing at Pensacola Navy-Yard; quiet elsewhere. Nothing late from Fort Morgan; wires broken. Forrest drove enemy's advance out of Oxford last night. All particulars of Fort Gaines' surrender known are commanding officer communicated with enemy and made terms without authority; his fort in good condition, garrison having suffered little. He made [no] reply to repeated orders and signals from General Page to hold his fort, and surrendered; conditions not known. Serious delays and mischief occasioned by depot quartermasters refusing, to issue necessary supplies, except by order from Richmond; please correct it.

D. H. MAURY,

Major-General.

[First indorsement.]

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

August 13, 1864.

At all of our large depots of supplies orders have been given that no requisitions should be issued upon without the approval of this office. This was necessary in order to prevent the absorption of all the supplies manufactured or imported by the commands in the vicinity to the exclusion of armies more remote. It is necessary to keep up this restriction, but it is not intended to prevent issues of small amounts for immediate emergencies.

W. F. ALEXANDER,

Major and Assistant to the Quartermaster-General.

[Second indorsement.]

AUGUST 13, 1864.

Respectfully submitted for the information of the President, inviting his attention to the explanation of the Quartermaster- General as to the last clause of the telegram.

J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

[THIRD indorsement.]

SECRETARY OF WAR:

The main depots should be, as they are, under the control of the chiefs of the quartermaster's and subsistence departments; but there should be a system which would meet such cases as that herein presented. The readiest which occurs to me is that of estimates in advance of requisitions.

J. D.