telegraphed from your headquarters, and which directed not to interfere with this movement of Colonel Paine. Yesterday, as soon as I learned Colonel Gooding's mistake, I sent bank the launches under Lieutenant Watson, of the Navy, and telegraphed to Colonel Paine that if he desired it I would also send back the Barataria.

I think you should see this at once. It may, in connection with other information you may possess, suggest a new disposition of Paine's brigade. His transports will reach him to-day, and I shall telegraph him to await further orders at Plaquemine. This will give you time to deliberate without essentially delaying the original movement.

W. H. EMORY,

Brigadier-General.

BRASHEAR CITY, February 21, 1863.

BrigadierGeneral G. WEITZEL,

U. S. V., Commanding Brigade:

GENERAL: The gentleman who arrived to-day says he has seen and talked with General Sibley, who has relieved Mouton; that the only re-enforcements yet arrived as low as the obstructions near Pattersonville are the cavalry that have been at Grosse Tete under Colonel Freret, numbering about 300. They have been the last two days below Pattersonville. He has dined with General Sibley, whom he heard say expected re-enforcements immediately, consisting of 3,500 men (all mounted). He (the Spanish gentleman) has heard of a large number of troops passing through Opelousas, coming this way, all Texans. He says Kirby Smith is daily expected to take command; that he is to bring two Louisiana brigades (recently from Virginia) with him; he does not know whose brigades they are. The Host is near New Iberia; is not yet ready for service. He passed through the earthworks above Pattersonville yesterday. There are no heavy guns there. Mouton is in New Iberia. Two new batteries arrived a few days since at New Iberia from Alexandria; these he saw; they were finely equipped, and had six pieces each, all brass; they were both Louisiana batteries. Besides these he is sure there are two more, making, with Semmes', Winchester's, and the Saint Mary's, seven, all of them having six guns each. The Saint Mary's battery is near Indian Bend, where the gunboats went last Saturday; but on the Teche there is a shell road from the Teche to the lake. Semmes and Winchester have each four pieces at Camp Bisland, and each one section at the Cote Blanche, Weeks' plantation, on the sea-shore. At Camp Bisland they have the Twenty-eighth Louisiana, Fournet's regiment, and half of the Eighteenth Louisiana, Vincent's cavalry, and 100 or 200 Texans, besides Freret's men.

Waller's battalion is at Indian Bend. The other half of the Eighteenth is at Fausse Point, on the lake. At Butte-a-la-Rose they have two or three heavy guns (he does not know which), one of the new batteries, and the Crescent Regiment. He does not know how many the Crescent numbers, but knows they have had a great many recruits lately. The Eighteenth has also recruited, and new regiments are being formed from recruits and conscripts raised on the Red River and all about this part of the State.

The giver of this information is a Spanish subject; has a Spanish passport, dated Cadiz, 1859. He is going to Havana; has lived the last two years at Indian Bend.

The new regiments are being organized at Camp Pratt. He thinks