made known to you as soon as possible. All persons within the District of West Florida are under military control, consequently subject to your authority as commanding officer. The people of Warrington and Woolsey come under the jurisdiction of the military authorities.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. B. DRAKE,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
New Orleans, La., February 13, 1865.

Major General GEORDON GRANGER,

Commanding District of West Florida and South Alabama:

SIR: The major-general commanding directs that the portion of the Twentieth U. S. Colored Infantry now serving in your command be returned to this city by first opportunity, and ordered to report to the commanding general Defenses of New Orleans.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. T. CRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

CITY POINT, VA., February 14, 1865-1 p. m.

Major Men. GEORGE H. THOMAS,

Commanding Department of the Cumberland, Nashville, Tenn.:

GENERAL: General Canby is preparing a movement from Mobile Bay against Mobile and the interior of Alabama. His forces will consist of about 20,000 men, besides A. J. Smith's command. The cavalry you have sent to Canby will be debarked at Vicksburg. It, with the available cavalry already in that section, will move from there eastward in co-operation. Hood's army has been terribly reduced by the severe punishment you gave it in Tennessee, by desertion consequent upon their defeat, and now by the withdrawal of many of them onto oppose Sherman. I take it a large of the infantry has been so withdrawn. It is asserted in the Richmond papers, and a member of the rebel Congress said a few days since in a speech, that one-half of it had rebel Congress said a few days since in a speech, that one-half of it had been brought to South Carolina to oppose Sherman. This being true, or even if it is not true, Canby's movement will attract all the attention it advisable, therefore, that you prepare as much of a cavalry force as you can spare and hold it in readiness to go south. The object would be three-fold:

First. To attack as much of the enemy's force as possible to insure success to Canby. Second. To destroy the enemy's line of communications and military resources. Third. to destroy or capture their forces brought into the field. Tuscaloosa and Selma probably would be the points to direct the expedition against. This, however, would not be so important as the mere fact of penetration deep into Alabama. Discretion should be left with the officer commanding the expedition to go where according to the information he may receive, he will best secure the object named above. Now that your force has been so much depleted I do not know what number of men you can put into the field. If not more than 5,000 men, however, all cavalry, I think it will be sufficient.