2. Captain Dunham will prepare his two howitzers now at this place for immediate duty. He will select such men as he may require from the detachments of his own and Captain Abell's companies, and will report without delay to Major A. Bonaud.

3. Major A. Bonaud, commanding battalion, will proceed at once with his battalion, a section of Dunham's artillery, Captain Crawford's company infantry, and all the cavalry at this place to the west side of the Saint Mary's River between where it is crossed by railroad and Barber's Bridge. He will take position and endeavor to prevent any advance of the enemy. He will establish communication with a point as near the enemy as possible, and will report promptly anything of importance that any transpire. Quartermaster will furnish transportation for the above movement.

4. Major G. W. Scott, commanding cavalry, and Captain Crawford, commanding Independent Infantry Company, will report at once to Major A. Bonaud, commanding C. S. troops at Lake City.

5. Major P. B. Bird, Sixth Battalion Florida Volunteers, will proceed at once to Waldo, Fla., and will endeavor to collect the men of his battalion. He will concentrate these men at Waldo and will make requisition for supplies on the army commissary of subsistence at Gainesville, Fla., and will move directly to Sanderson, Fla., and report for duty.

6. Private Charles Cone, Cone's Independent Cavalry, will report at once for duty to Major G. W. Scott, commanding cavalry.

7. Major Scott will proceed to Sanderson and join Major Harrison with his command. This force will keep the enemy in check as far as possible, without risking too much. Re-enforcements will be sent to-night.

8. Major Bonaud will keep his troops in camps until further orders. His command will be ready to form line of battles at any moment. His command will be inspected at 3 o'clock this evening.

By order of Brigadier-General Finegan:

R. B. THOMAS,

Colonel and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

SAVANNAH, February 10, 1864.

General G. T. BEAUREGARD:

SIR: It is now more than a year since I had the honor to be consulted by you in reference to material for incendiary projectiles. The interest which you then felt in the matter, and the subsequent notice which you have occasionally given, it warranted me in the supposition that this appeal to you will not be unacceptable, and it is with greater confidence I approach you on the subject in consideration that the general design of the work originated with you, both in regard to the nature of the hand projectiles and the material for shells.

If during this long interval I had possessed the facilities for construction and experiment, and had not perfected the design, I would be chargeable with incompetency or neglect; but those facts which you may recall and the reports that I have repeatedly made will show that in all matters which my means and efforts could compass I have been both prompt and efficient, to-wit, that after the composition for the hand projectiles had been approved, I conducted experiments showing that it was not applicable to shells.