HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, OFFICE OF CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER, New Orleans, La., April 11, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,
Asst. Adjt. General Military Division of West Mississippi:

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit to your consideration the following report of information received at this office this 11th day of April, 1865: Mr. Davis, an old stage driver between Montgomery and Selma, makes the following statement regarding the roads: There are two, one crossing the Alabama River ten miles west of Montgomery, running through Prattville, four miles from the river, and along the northern bank of the river. The crossing is by a ferry and the road is good. The other runs along south of the river through Benton to Selma. On the latter road, six miles form Montgomery, is Catoma Creek, and twelve miles from Montgomery is Pintlalla Creek. Both of these are bridged, and the roads are good except in very rainy weather. Twenty miles from Montgomery, on the same road, are the cross-roads leading one to Lowndesborough and the other to Newport, a shipping point on the Alabama River. Distance to each place from cross-roads, three miles. Five miles from cross-roads, on the road to Benton, is Cypress Creek, which is bridged. Three miles from Benton is the Big Swamp. There is no bridge, but it can be forded at all times, except in high waters in the Alabama River. Benton is sixteen miles from cross-roads;f rom Benton to Selma is fifteen miles. One mile from Benton is Old Town Creek, not bridged, but fordable, except when filled by backwater from the alabama. The Alabama is crossed at Selma by a ferry. The following is a list of plantations on the route: Felix Ashley's, four miles from Montgomery; Myers' (Whitney), six miles from Montgomery; Ben Ashley's, six miles from Montgomery, west of creek; Barton Stone's, seven or eight miles form Montgomery; Rasier's, nine miles form Montgomery; Gunter's, ten miles from Montgomery; Houser's, twelve miles from Montgomery; Peyton Graves', thirteen miles and a half from Montgomery; Warren Stone's, fourteen miles form Montgomery; E. Harrison's, nineteen miles from Montgomery; Mrs. McCall's, twenty miles from Montgomery; Mrs. Saint Clare's, twenty-one miles from Montgomery; corn-mil (water-power), twenty-three miles from Montgomery; J. White's, twenty-five miles from Montgomery; D. A. Steele's, twenty-nine miles from Montgomery; Mrs. Mock's, thirty-two miles from Montgomery; Dudley's,m three miles from Benton. A clerk from headquarters Western Sub-District of Texas reports at Braxos Santiago about 1,500 cavalry (March 24) and one light battery in the district. There were about 300 at Corpus Christi, commanded by Colonel Jones. They are deserting at every opportunity, coming into our lines on an average of forty per week.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. M. JACKSON,

Major, Tenth U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery.

(In absence of Captain S. M. Eaton, chief signal officer, Military Division of West Mississippi.)

SPECIAL HEADQUARTERS ARMY AND DIVISION FIELD ORDERS,
OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 30.
Near Blakely, Ala., April 11, 1865.

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II. The Sixteenth Army Corps, Major General A. J. Smith commanding, and the command of Major General F. Steele will prepare and be ready to