exercise sufficient authority over those citizens as he did over his own men.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

WM. J. WHELLER,

Lieutenant, Company A, First Regiment Arizona Brigade,

Lieu. Col. P. HARDEMAN,

Commanding First Regiment, Columbus.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DIST. OF TEX., N. MEX., AND ARIZ., No. 30.
Houston, Tex., December 23, 1863.

Paragraph VII, General Orders, No. 19, dated December 16, 1862, is hereby revoked.

Mexican or other foreigners will be allowed the same privileges and facilities for the transportation of cotton to and supplies from the Rio Grande as allowed the citizens of Texas by General Orders, No. 28, of February 22, 1863; and it shall be the duty of every officer or agent of the Government to afford them, as strangers, ample protection.

By order of Major General J. Bankhead Magruder:

STEPHEN D. YANCEY,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER, February 24, 1863.

GENERAL: After thoroughly investigating all the circumstances I find that the report of General Augur's arrival at Baton Rouge was a mistake; that is, the word " from" was substituted for "at" before "Indian Village." This was done just below Port Hudson by a young man named Payne. All the other posts have the message written in their record books: "General Augur has arrived at Indian Village from below with 10,000 men."

Be this as it may, from information perfectly reliable the Yankees are evidently making preparations for attack on Port Hudson-they say with 40,000 men; but other sources of information place their number 30,000; 21,000 being now at Baton Rouge, the balance below. They are mounting siege guns around Baton Rouge, having received ten 32s a few days since. Three thousand will cover all cover all the re-enforcements that arrived in the number at first reported so large. They came up on three large transports that seemed loaded down. These were reported to you, however, several days ago. and since there has but one company of cavalry (Dutch) arrived.

The Yankees themselves are looking for heavy re-enforcements every day. We will keep strict watch and report promptly.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. W. YOUNGBLOOD,

Captain, Commanding Signal Corps.

PORT HUDSON, February 25, 1863.

Lieutenant-General PEMBERTON:

The brigade of the enemy from Indian Village are marching toward