WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, March 14, 1865-8.30 p.m.

Major-General ORD,

Commanding, &c., Fortress Monroe:

The President directs that the sale of lands for taxes that is advertised to take place to-morrow at Norfolk be postponed for thirty days, so that the Freedmen's Bureau may be organized and the chief of that bureau afforded an opportunity to select the lands that may be required for the purposes of his bureau. You will please notify the commissioners, and see that the sale does not take place. If the Secretary of the Treasury can be found to-night he will send an order to the commissioners. Please acknowledge the receipt of this instruction.

By order of the President:

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, ARMY OF THE JAMES,
In the Field, March 14, 1865-10.20 a.m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

City Point:

The following dispatch is just received:

FORT MAGRUDER, March 14, 1865.

Picket-post No. 2-Queen's Creek-reports fifteen transports having passed up York River last night with troops.

B. C. LUDLOW,

Brevet Brigadier-General.

E. O. C. ORD,

Major-General.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, ARMY OF THE JAMES,
In the Field, March 14, 1865-11.10 a.m.

Brigadier-General RAWLINS,

U. S. Army,

Chief of Staff, City Point:

I have the honor to inform you that the rebels refuse to exchange papers to-day. Captain Greaner informs me he received an order this a.m. directing him to give us only such dates as we give them, or, in other words, exchanging date for date. He also informs me that Colonel Elliott, Twenty-fifth Virginia, and editor of one of the Richmond papers (the Examiner, I believe), will to-day make an effort to have this order countermanded.

E. O. C. ORD,

Major-General, Commanding.

ORD'S HEADQUARTERS,

March 14, 1865-4 p.m.

General J. A. RAWLINS,

U. S. Army, City Point:

Deserter from Bratton's (South Carolina) brigade, who was in Richmond on Sunday, says the people came streaming in on the Brook pike Sunday a.m. (it comes in from due north), stating that Sheridan's cavalry were on that road about six miles out, near eight-gun battery.