commanding at Little Washington, notifying him of the state of affairs at Plymouth. He was also requested to send down such surplus troops as he might have to be used at such points as might seem necessary. I also sent dispatches for the Tacony to proceed at once from Little Washington to Plymouth. Before these dispatches arrived Colonel Dutton, chief of my staff, had procured the sailing of the Tacony for Plymouth, going on board himself. Colonel Dutton also suggested to General Harland that he should send the steamer Pilot Boy with the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers to Plymouth, but General Harland did not feel at liberty to do so, in view of his situation.

All the information received by both the senior naval officer, Commander Davenport, and myself was promptly sent to your headquarters by both lines of communication. General Wessells was supplied with provisions, forage, ammunition, tools, and other requisites for a protracted siege. His command numbered some 2,500 at Plymouth, and the casualties were very small, notwithstanding five assaults on Monday. His position was intact up to the appearance of the iron-clad and Cotton Plant at 3 a. m. the 19th, and but for the loss of the river he could have held the land forces at bay for weeks. General Wessells and his command, and the navy under the late gallant Lieutenant-Commander Flusser, made a heroic fight worthy of our arms. They deserve well of the country, and history will record in glowing terms their honorable conduct.

A few days since I communicated the information, entirely reliable, that floats were being prepared to buoy the ram over the principal shoals in the Neuse River, between this place and Kinston. It has been the intention from the first to bring the two iron-clads from the Roanoke and Neuse together in an attack upon New Berne. Should this movement be delayed it will result solely from the exigencies of rebel service in other parts of the Confederacy.

Colonel Ripley, commanding Sub-district of Beaufort, advised me of a contemplated movement upon Fort Macon, down the Banks, and that pontoons were being made with reference to this object. He further advised that it is currently believed in Onslow County that General Martin has been assigned the same duty as before, to wit, the attack upon Newport Barracks and the railroad. The re-enforcements sent to General Wessells have since been ordered to occupy Roanoke Island. The chief engineer has also been ordered to aid the commander in placing the island in the best state of defense. The chief engineer expresses the opinion that the iron-clad will have no difficulty in passing through the Croatan Sound, and this opinion is concurred in by the captains of our transports.

General Palmer, who is immediately responsible for the safety of New Berne and its appendages, was of the opinion that no more troops should be detached from his command. The senior naval officer did not think it his duty to detach any of the force at his disposal here.

IRON-CLADS.

Since our only disaster in North Carolina has resulted from the introduction by the rebels of formidable iron-clads in their offensive operations it becomes very important to show what steps have been taken to advise Major-General Butler and to protect North Carolina from rebel invasions. Soon after my arrival I learned that the iron-

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