Even on this occasion the enemy opened upon him with musketry only. The steamer was destroyed early in the morning of the 20th by the guns of our front batteries. Reconnoitering parties, sent out in boats north of Long Island toward Secessionville, under Captain Blau, of the Fifty-fourth New York Volunteers, found Pine Tree Island as my outposts had left it last summer and no torpedoes in the creek. The men of my command are too much fatigued by outpost duty to send out larger parties. I have subsequently been unable to land anywhere on John's Island, and therefore requested the commanding officer of the naval forces in Stono Inlet to go up Stono and Kiawah Rivers and see what he could discover. Unfortunately, the permission to do so having been sent by Admiral Dahlgren through the signal corps in the common code, the enemy was informed of our intention, for he reads our dispatches in the common code as well as we do his. The consequence was that all our shelling of the enemy's works and the ground in rear of Secessionville did not make a man move or draw a shot from their guns. This reconnaissance, however, established the fact that the enemy had not again erected his batteries west of Legareville, which he used in January, 1864, and which we demolished last summer. As the enemy can read our common signal code, and as working in other codes dispatches are certainly transmitted less expeditiously than by mounted orderlies or a boat, I have entirely given up the signal corps as a means of communication, and employ all the sergeants at Fort Strong, the Swamp Angel, and elsewhere in observing the enemy's signal stations, so as to obtain all the information possible from them. I have been informed that active operations will soon commence in this district, and that General Hatch with his division will probably arrive here within a few days. I have therefore ordered the docks at Morris and Folly Islands to be put in as good condition as possible; but to repair them well, and do other work required in case of active operations, a steam pile-driver will be absolutely essential and should be sent here as soon as practicable. Lumber is also not on hand in this district, and as there will be wanted a large quantity of one, two, and there inch planks for offensive operations, I now call attention to the fact in time.

I also beg to report that my wagon transportation is scarcely sufficient to provide the troops with rations and wood, and that as soon as more troops arrive I shall have no teams to transport armor to he batteries. I have now, with the Parrott guns and mortars, ammunition for about forty-eight hours' firing, and with the naval batteries, three days. I don't know what amount of firing will be ordered, but may be allowed to state that a four-horse ream can take from the ordinance yard to Forts Strong or Putnam twelve to Fifteen 200-pounder, or twenty-five to thirty 100-pounder shells at a load, and can make two trips within twenty-four hours.

I have again to inform you that the district has for some time been out of hay, and that private as well as public horses are dying rapidly. I have further to call attention to the fact that there are no beef-cattle, and that there is no hard bread at present on hand for issue in this district, and that the 300 barrels of flour arrived yesterday will furnish soft bread for the present strength for the command for twelve days.

I an, captain, with great respect, your most obedient servant,

A. SCHIMMELFENNIG,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Captain W. L. M. BURGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the South.