opportunity of learning more than is here stated, as a few minutes only elapsed between my arrival at the battery and its occupation by the enemy.

I send herewith, as requested, the written statements of Lieutenants Washington, Estill, and Colquitt.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. H. COLQUITT,

Brigadier-General.

Lieutenant Colonel ARCHER ANDERSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.] HEADQUARTERS COLQUITT'S BRIGADE, Sugar Loaf, N. C., January 17, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel ARCHER ANDERSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

COLONEL: In obedience to your note of this morning I have the honor to make the following statements in regard to my visit to Battery Buchanan with General Colquitt:

We left Sugar Loaf Landing about 8.30 o'clock with the intention of going to Fort Fisher. General Colquitt was very anxious to land immediately at the fort, but owing to some statements of the boatmen was forced to order them to land as near as possible to the fort. Some time before we reached the land all firing in the direction of Fisher had ceased, and the enemy's fleet and land forces seemed engaged in making a grand pyrotechnical display. We landed, as one of the boatmen informed us, about a quarter of a mile from Battery Buchanan in the direction of Fort Fisher. We walked up about fifty yards from the beach to a small hut, which proved to be a blacksmiths shop. We called, and a man, who was either a mulatto or a badly smoked white man, made his appearance. I entered the shop and found three or four negroes lying about the forge asleep. The general inquired of the man the route to Fort Fisher. The man replied very unconcernedly that the yankees were up there. The general told him he must have a guide to Fort Fisher, and inquired the way to Battery Buchanan. While this conversation was progressing a squad of about fifteen men made their appearance, in flight from Fort Fisher or that direction; I took them for stragglers. The general called out to them to know where they were going and where they were from. They replied that they were the last men from the fort; that the Yankess were in possession of it. They spied our boat and started toward it. We succeeded in stopping them, and the general inquired if there was an officer with them. One stepped forward and gave his name as Captain Munn. The general then asked him where General Whiting was. He replied that General Whiting and Colonel Lamb were both wounded and had been carried to Battery Buchanan.

The general ordered him to take charge of those men, and report to Colonel Lamb at Battery Buchanan. These men were without guns, without accouterments, some of them without hats, and all in a very bad state of demoralization. We then debated the question as to going to Battery Buchanan by land or water. Fortunately, the general concluded to keep the boat in sight. In a few minutes we were landed in forty yards of Battery Buchanan. There was a man on horseback on the beach who hailed us before we landed. As soon as I stepped on land I asked this man the news. He said the fort was