HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, Light-House Inlet, S. C., June 21, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to state that nothing of especial interest has occurred within his command since my last report. Firing at the city and at Fort Sumter has been carried on as usual. Since the firing along the entire rebel line, reported in my last, they have been unusually quiet. On James Island the enemy has continued to show new camps, at the same time partly breaking up the old ones. He has been seen moving heavy guns, although from the lookouts we find every gun in position as before. I have not yet been able to obtain such information as to determine whether the new camps are merely a ruse, whether the enemy is merely moving guns or withdrawing them or whether the enemy is really re-enforced. All indications given by the outpost reports are in the latter direction.

On the evening,of the 18th instant, a side-wheel steamer was reported from Cole's Island as coming down the Stono River. She ran down about 2 miles this side of Battery Pringle, and then returned. She is reported as being larger than any steamer seen before on Stono River, and having the appearance of a gun-boat.

Any movement of the enemy down the Stono would undoubtedly be accompanied by the appearance of his troops in force at Legareville, on John's Island. I therefore sent out a party on the night of the 19th instant to destroy the earth-works southwest of Legareville, which the enemy erected last winter, and from which they opened on our gun-boats on Christmas day with heavy artillery. The party met with the usual rebel cavalry pickets, and had some skirmishing. After having carried out their orders, they returned without loss. The enemy continues his engineering work on James Island, strengthening the bomb-proofs around Secessionville, and repairing the damages done to his batteries.

On the 18th instant, at 10 a.m., the execution of Private Wallace Baker, Company I, Fifty-fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, as ordered in General Orders, No. 90, headquarters Department of the South, June 16, 1864, took place in presence of all the troops on Folly Island. Since then I have thought it best to remove the Fifty-second Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers to Morris Island, they being acquainted with the ground there, and have ordered the Thirty-third Regiment U. S. Colored Troops onto Folly Island. I am making my headquarters for the present on Morris Island.

I have the honor to be, respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. SCHIMMELFENNIG,

Brigadier-General, Commanding District.

P. S.- I regret to state that during a reconnaissance on Kiawah Island, on the 15th instant, 3 men of the Fifty-second Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers deserted to the enemy.

A. SCHIMMELFENNIG,

Brigadier-General, Commanding District.

Captain W. L. M. BURGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, Folly Island, S. C., June 28, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to state the that since my last report no deserters or refugees have come within my lines from the enemy.