HEADQUARTERS ENGINEERS BRIGADE, March 31, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,
Assistant Adjutant-General:

I shall have all the steamers here keep out of the way and I think with my force I can hold position until re-enforced by you.

Respectfully,

J. BAILEY,

Brigadier-General.

HDQRS. ARMY AND DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, March 31, 1865.

DEAR STEELE: Major has just come in and will start back early in the morning with the expectation of meeting your advance cavalry at Holyoke's. If possible I wish you to [reach] Veatch's camp to-morrow night and send your train the next day for supplies. Your command will remain at Holyoke's to rest for a day or two until you get your supplies. I propose then to invest Blakely with your force while we are at work on Spanish Fort. There [are] about 4,000 men in Blakely.

Very truly, yours, &c.,
E. R. S. CANBY,

Major-General.

HDQRS. ARMY AND DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, March 31, 1865.

Major General GORDON GRANGER:

The commanding general directs that you open with everything that can reach the fort at the time the 30-pounders open, viz, at 8 this morning. Please answer.

C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. ARMY AND DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Near Spanish Fort,
Ala., March 31, 1865.

Major General GORDON GRANGER,

Commanding Thirteenth Army Corps:

GENERAL: By direction of the commanding general I have the honor to inform you that the remaining batteries of the siege train, under command of General Totten, will arrive here in the morning. Before these will be in position the firing of the artillery now along the front ought to be reduced to the very minimum, keeping the gunners, however, always at hand and on the alert for any emergency. The batteries on the extreme right, playing on Forts Huger and Tracy, and the battery commanding the wharf and landing at Spanish Fort, will of course continue their rife, and prevent by all means any communication of the besieged forts with Mobile Bay. As soon as all guns will be in position and the necessary amount of ammunition can be accumulated, the most energetic fire from the whole line will commence again and the place subjected to a complete bombardment. In the meantime corps commanders will have their enfilanding and direct batteries advanced to the most effective sites, and their profiles made sufficiently strong to stand