in the Confederacy, and plenty of every other article usually found in the quartermaster's department.

All the above-mentioned places are under the command of Brig. General Dan. Ruggles, who will not fight, but run. If our cavalry makes a raid on the Memphis and Ohio Railroad, and passes through Columbus, they should get hold of a man by name of Griesem, in William Cady's livery stable; also a nigger man named Guss, at Cady's Hotel. The above-named men are well acquainted with the roads and fords in the States of Mississippi and Alabama, as they have been stage and wagon drivers most of their lives. Close to Columbus lives a gentleman by the name of George Field, who is and has been thoroughly loyal to the old Union, and would do most anything to break up the rebellion; he could give information about the Confederates' movements. Mr. Young, in that neighborhood, has 150,000 bushels of corn.

At West Point is stationed one company with two cannon. General Chalmers' baggage is there. Major-General Gholson's [of the State troops] headquarters is at Tibbee Station. Out of over 1,700 drafted men he hardly got 500, and these are in militia camp, at Tibbee, but 50 well-drilled men can run them out of the place. This side of the station is a bridge, and has a stockade like the one at Columbus.

At Macon, Miss., several hundred yards below the depot, is a bridge that has a stockade like the one above.

At Lauderdale, Miss., are General Johnston's main army hospitals. There are two bridges, one above and one below the place. They have no stockades, however.

At Meridian, General Johnston's headquarters, is stationed Adams' brigade [of Loring's division, all Mississippi troops]. The balance of Loring's division are stationed a few miles below, so whenever Mobile is attacked, General Johnston will go down with Loring's division.

The fortifications around Mobile, Ala., about 5 miles from the city, are three broad and deep ditches, which run all around the city. Numbers 1 has the entrance on the southeast side. Numbers 2 is situated on the east side of the river opposite Saint Michael street, the entrance being on the south side.*

Going down the river with the Mobile and Great Northern Railroad boat, and as the boat turns to the left to get into the bay [which takes it to the river running to Tensas, the landing of the Mobile and Great Northern Railroad, on the right end of that turn is situated a battery of three 32-pounder rifled guns and one 10-inch. This is called the Spanish battery. A little down the bay, on the left, is one battery of six 32-pounders, called Pinton's battery. Between this and Fort Morgan are four more batteries, at Choctaw, Cedar Plain, Grand Spell, and Light-House battery. All of these have six guns, 32-pounders, rifled.

At Fort Morgan are about 600 men of the First Confederate [from Georgia]; they are drilled for infantry and artillery service, and about as many men in Fort Gaines. In Fort Gaines are eighty guns [most of them 32-pounders] and fifteen howitzers; these howitzers are in case of a land attack. In Fort Morgan are over one hundred guns and some howitzers. The two guns from Fort Sumter, which sunk the steamer Keokuk, are now in Fort Morgan. There are at Mobile two gunboats called the Morgan and Gaines; each of these has on deck

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*Sketch following omitted.

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