troops. All real good soldiers must now be marching. Do not let your command rest on its oars, but keep them going all the time, even if for no other purpose than to exhaust the enemy's country, or compel him to defend it. The simple fact that a man's home has been visited by an enemy makes a soldier in Lee's and Johnston's army very anxious to get home to look after his family and property. But the expedition I have indicated to Sumterville and Florence has even higher aims. Those cars and locomotives should be destroyed, if to do it costs you 500 men. I know you can get there all the bacon, beef, meat, &c., your command may want, and a good deal of corn meal. The men could march without knapsacks, with a single blanket, and carry eight days' provisions, which, with what is in the country, will feed the command two weeks. Let it be done at once, and select your own point of departure. After destroying those cars and engines (not merely damaging them, but an absolute destruction of boilers, steam chambers, connecting rods, flanges, &c. -powder can be used to good advantage in blowing up boilers and engines, but we use cold chisels and crowbars)-you may reduce your garrisons to the minimum, and send every man to New Berne and Goldsborough. I want to collect an army that can whip Lee in open fight if he lets go Richmond, which I think he will soon be forced to do.

Yours, truly,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

KINSTON, March 15, 1865.

Major General Q. A. GILLMORE,

Hilton Head, S. C.:

General Easton informs me that he cannot send any steamers to Hilton Head at present, but may be able to in a few days, and that he cannot send any coal.

J. M. SCHOFIELD,

Major-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, No. 66. Hilton Head, S. C., March 15, 1865.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

VII. Colonel B. C. Tilghman, Third U. S. Colored Troops, will, during the temporary absence of Brigadier General E. P. Scammon, exercise command of the District of Florida.

By command of Major General Q. A. Gillmore:

W. L. M. BURGER,
Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,

Charleston, S. C., March 15, 1865.

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: I have the honor to state that the Spanish consul has called upon me and informed me of three lots of cotton held by a Spanish