DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH.

District of Florida.

February 5. -Lieutenant Colonel A. H. Wilcoxson, with Captains French and Betts, Lieutenant Chatfield, and about forty enlisted men of the Seventeenth Connecticut Volunteers, serving as guard to train of ten wagons laden with cotton, were pounced upon by about eighty rebel cavalry, under Captain Dickison, near Welaka and about ninety miles from Saint Augustine, Fla. After a brief struggle, in which Colonel Wilcoxson received three wounds and Adjutant Chatfield was killed, the party from Saint Augustine was forced to surrender to Dickinson, who marched to the river near by and recrossed with his prisoners and plunder.

February 10. -Colonel Benjamin C. Tilghman relieved from command of at Jacksonville and placed in control of posts of Saint Augustine and Picolata, with headquarters at Saint Augustine.

February 18, 19, and 20. -Various posts of the district visited and inspected by Brigadier-General Williams, U. S. Volunteers, an officer of Lieutenant-General Grant's staff.

February 26. -A salute of 100 guns fired at Jacksonville in honor to the capture of Charleston.

March 7. -A scouting party composed of colored soldiers and civilians set out from Jacksonville, engaged and defeated a body of rebel cavalry in Marion County, and returned to Jacksonville, via Saint Augustine, bringing 4 prisoners, 74 refugees (colored), 5 horses, 7 mules, and 1 army wagon. Casualties, 2 killed and 1 wounded.

March 11. -Thirty-fourth U. S. Colored Troops returned from expedition and encamped near Jacksonville.

March 17. -Picolata abandoned. Garrison transferred to Saint Augustine, heavy ordnance to Jacksonville.

March 18. -Colonel W. W. Marple, with 500 men Thirty-fourth U. S. Colored Troops, one company Third U. S. Colored Troops, and three field pieces, marched inland from Jacksonville and encamped on banks of Cedar Creek, four miles from its junction with the Saint John's, to cover operations of a crew of crew of wreckers on sunken steamer Saint Mary's.

March 27. -Party of scouts, under Calvin Livingstone, came into Jacksonville, bringing five rebel soldiers and three Spencer carbines (seven-shooters), captured without loss to our side on March 26 on west side Saint John's, opposite Picolata, and near Glen Cove Springs.

March 31. -Steamer Saint Mary's raised by wrecking party under Captain Bennett.

April 7. -General Scammon and personal staff left the district to accept leave of absence. Command of district temporarily resigned to Colonel B. C. Tilghman, of the Third U. S. Colored Troops.

April 19. -Brigadier-General Vogdes, with his staff, arrived from Hilton Head, and assumed command, relieving Colonel Tilghman.

April 22. -Received official information by flag of truce of an armistice agreed upon between the Federal and Confederate authorities.

April 26. -Received notice of the above-named armistice from headquarters Department of the South.

April 28-30. -General Vogdes and staff visited and inspected post of Saint Augustine, in steamer Saint Mary's. Received at Jacksonville between 3,000 and 4,000 paroled prisoners of war from Andersonville, Ga., via Tallahassee, Lake City, and Baldwin. These prisoners