south side of the James River and there bivouac. As soon as your brigade is under arms you will report in person to these headquarters.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. L. GOODRICH,

Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN VIRGINIA, Norfolk, Va., April 1, 1865.

Brigadier General L. THOMAS,
Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose you the last report of deserters, &c. You will see that the so-called loyal people that have been supplied from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina have been able to sell much bacon to rebels for cotton, which cotton furnished supplies to enable rebels to raise bacon. I have stopped all supplies going beyond my actual picket-line. If coffee, candles, and sugar find their way to Murfree's Depot they must either run the blockade from North Carolina, be smuggled out by traders, or run the blockade up the James from some domestic port. I know the goods do not go out from my command. I know that none of the cotton comes into my district.

I append the information:

I have the honor to report the following information, elicited from refugees and deserters examined this morning [March 31]: Several mechanics and employees, lately engaged on the Seaboard Railroad, report that the average amount of cotton carried over that road is about 50 bales per day. The amount carried to Murfree's Depot depends somewhat on the amount of supplies which they expect to receive in return for the cotton. Some days three car loads are sent down, and every day there is at least one car load, a car carrying about 30 bales. The average amount of bacon carried over the road is about 10,000 pounds daily. Sugar, coffee, molasses, codfish, adamantine candles, &c., are also sent on that road.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. H. GORDON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

WINCHESTER, VA., April 1, 1865-10 a.m. [Received 10.40 a.m.]

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Chief of Staff:

Some of the parties who robbed the train on the 30th have been captured, and more may be. I offered yesterday to place a guard of about a company of infantry on every passenger train or other train containing valuable Government stores, and asked W. P. Smith if he could furnish a proper car for such guards. From his answer it appears to me that he expects the Government to pay the company for transporting the guards. Before entering into any such operations I shall ask for orders. Nothing can prevent an occasional disturbance of the road, but a good guard would force the enemy to come in larger numbers, and so give me a better opportunity of reaching them. A small party of thirty, after capturing a train, will disperse entirely, each man to his own hiding place. I do not see why the Government should pay transportation, however, for guards protecting the property of the company.

W. S. HANCOCK,

Major-General.