miles, and is better marked by Craig's house on the mainland and Craig's pole on the beach (the second high pole from Galtin Battery). Cavalry companies could cross this place at any time.

Respectfully submitted.

E. B. DUDLEY,

Captain Company D, Thirty-sixth North Carolina Troops.

P. S.-Should you wish to send any artillery across there, I would like to send the pilot I had with me (one of my men).

E. B. D.

RICHMOND, VA., April 27, 1864.

Major General SAMUEL JONES,

Charleston, S. C.:

Order Hagood's brigade instead of Colquitt's, as suggested.

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

HEADQUARTERS, Wilmington, April 27, 1864.

General BEAUREGARD,
Commanding, &c., Weldon:

MY DEAR GENERAL: In accordance with your orders, transmitted yesterday from General Bragg, I have sent the Fiftieth [North Carolina] Regiment to Rocky Mount, there to telegraph you as to its farther destination.

With regard to the Yankee prisoners, the agents, commissary, or quartermaster should notify my people of the movement of the trains, that I may make ready. One train arrived to-day without notice and without provisions. Please send on the negroes for my works as soon as possible. Burnside's attack must either be here or at Weldon or at Petersburg; I think the latter. If in your power, concentrate at once. Either point is vital to our defense of Richmond. To save any point, everything we have must be put on one line of communication until the point of attack is determined. I know your views on this matter. Push them if you can. Any attack now on the separate posts of the enemy involving a dispersion of our forces seems to me a military blunder of the worst kind. If concentrated, we settle Burnside. I will guarantee that in ten or twenty days we clear North Carolina.

Yours, truly,

WHITING.

APRIL 27, 1864.

General BEAUREGARD,

Weldon:

If you think proper, send the following dispatch to General Bragg from me:

"Gun-boat on Neuse hopelessly fixed. Whatever be the point of Burnside's attack, Petersburg, Weldon, or this place (I think the former), I hope no time be lost in concentrating all troops available on line of Wilmington and Weldon Railroad. After settling him we can clear the frontier of North Carolina in a fortnight."

W. H. C. WHITING,

Major-General.