ram will probably come down to Roanoke Island, Washington, and New Berne. Unless we are immediately and heavily re-enforced, both by the army and navy, North Carolina is inevitably lost.

The ram is heavy and very formidable, and none of the gun-boats here can stand against its power. The Southfield is sunk, and the rest disabled.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN J. PECK,

Major-General.

Major-General BUTLER,

Commanding, &c.

HDQRS. ARMY AND DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
New Berne, N. C., April 21, 1864.

GENERAL: I had the honor to receive late last night communication of the 17th instant in response to General Wessells' letter of the 14th instant, asking for re-enforcements, in which you say as follows:

You will have to defend the district with your present force, and you will make such dispositions of them as will in your judgment best subserve this end.

It is proper to state for your information that General Wessells sent this communication direct to your headquarters to save time, expecting that any aid which might be sent would come from Virginia and not from North Carolina.

General Wessells sent a duplicate of the communication to me, with a letter expressing the above views in strong terms, knowing the reduced state of the force at my disposal in North Carolina. Notwithstanding this expression of his sentiments, I had a conference with General Palmer and Commander Davenport, U. S. Navy, and the heavy gun-boat Tacony, which is equal to two or three regiments, was immediately dispatched to Plymouth.

On Monday, the 18th instant, the Tacony arrived back from Plymouth with dispatches from General Wessells and Lieutenant-Commander Flusser, U. S. Navy. General Wessells wrote that he did not apprehend any attack, and did not think there was a very large force in his front. He further expressed the opinion that there was much doubt as to the iron-clad making its appearance, and believed that she was at Hamilton undergoing repairs or modifications.

Commander Davenport read me a communication from Commander Flusser, in which he expressed the opinion that I had misinterpreted the communication of General Wessells with reference to the re-enforcements for Plymouth.

These two commanders, after a confederate, exhibited such confidence in their own ability to hold the place against any force the enemy would in any probability bring that they sent back the Tacony. Her arrival on the 18th instant, with the above-mentioned communication, placed me entirely at rest concerning any movements at Plymouth.

On Monday afternoon, about 5. 30 o'clock, I received advice by deserters that General Corse was in front of the outpost at Batchelder's Creek, and that General Pickett would attack Little Washington with a large force on Tuesday. This information, taken in connection with that from General Wessells of the 16th instant