righ of way everything. The negro brigade takes everything in the way of provisions. They ought to march in rear of everything.

E. UPTON,

Brevet Major-General, Commanding.

EASTPORT, April 20, 1865.

Major General GEORGE H. THOMAS, U. S. Army:

The water is nearly as high as before; no property lost by flood this time. I have Mobile papers of the 9th. Spanish Fort not been taken by our troops. Wilson, after leaving Selma, had marched on Montgomery. I am under the impression the smuggling on Tennessee River is done by sub-agents of the Treasury Department.

EDWARD HATCH,

Brigadier-General.

CHATTANOOGA.

(Received April 20, 1865.)

Brigadier-General WHIPPLE:

Should General Wofford refuse to communicate your message to General Wilson to him, or permit it to be sent by flag, I think Merrill's Horse, now at Dalton, can take it to General Wilson.

Respectfully,

JAS. B. STEEDMAN,

Major-General, U. S. Volunteers.

SIGNAL DEPARTMENT, ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND,

Knoxville, Tenn., April 20, 1865.

Captain H. R. CLUM,

Washington City:

CAPTAIN: The stations mentioned in my report of operations for the months of January and February, 1865, were kept in operation until about the 15th of March, when preparations were made for a campaign in East Tennessee and the Fourth Army Corps moved toward Bull's Gap. On learning the plan of the campaign I proceeded at once to Knoxville, Tenn., so as to be more directly with the troops in the field. I then relieved Lieutenants Rice and Ullmann from duty with Fourth Army Corps, and ordered them to report to Lieutenant C. H. Jones, commanding detachment with District of East Tennessee, so as to give General Stoneman four officers, two to operate with the cavalry and two with the infantry, as directed by the major-general commanding. When the Fourth Army Corps reached New Market an attempt was made to open communication with Bull's Gap, a distance of thirty-five miles, a portion of General Stoneman's command having reached that place, but the communication could only be completed by the use of rockets, after opening a station eight miles in advance of the telegraph. The officers thus in the field vigilant and anxious to render service, and the sergeants were greatly encouraged by their new responsibilities. As the supply of signal equipments was limited I was unable to issue an extra kit to each two officers, which would have added greatly to the strength of the detachment, as a single kit is not always sufficient

27 R R-VOL XLIX, PT II