(among them the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts) have not been paid for more than a year. The men and their families are suffering and greatly in need of the pay which is due them. As a consequence, the greatest discontent prevails, and in several instances a spirit of mutiny has been developed.

Deeming the circumstances of the case sufficiently grave, I have ordered Colonel Hartwell, commanding Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment, to proceed to Hilton Head an there to lay the whole matter before the general commanding the department. I trust that his representation of facts may meet with attention and some measures be taken to remedy the difficulty.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. SCHIMMELFENNIG,

Brigadier-General, Commanding District.

HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,
Folly Island, S. C., April 25, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel E. W. SMITH,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Dept. of the South:

SIR: I have the honor to report that all the troops ordered away from my command have left with the exception of a part of the Fifty-second Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers and ten teams, which will be forwarded as soon as transportation can be obtained. This district is at present divided into three parts, garrisoned as follows, viz:

Folly Island, commanded by Colonel L. von Gilsa, Forty-first New York Volunteers, and comprising the Forty-first and Fifty-fourth New York Volunteers and the Seventy-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers. Little Folly Island, commanded by Colonel William Heine, One hundred and third New York Volunteers, comprising the One hundred and third New York Volunteers and the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts (colored).

Morris Island, commanded by Colonel William Gurney, One hundred and twenty-seventh New York Volunteers, comprising the One hundred and twenty-seventh New York Volunteers, Fifty-fourth Massachusetts (colored), Twenty-first and Third-fourth United States (colored), five companies of the Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, and two sections of Light Battery B, Third New York Artillery.

I have given orders for the forts on Kiawah and Long Island to be disarmed, and for the oyster-shell fort on Cole's Island to be thoroughly repaired and armed.

I have deemed it wise, while this movement of troops was going on, to show to the enemy as bold a front and harass him as much as possible, and deserters inform me that it has had the effect of detaining in Charleston five battalions that were going north, and that they have been in nightly expectation of an attack on James Island.

On Morris Island I have forbidden the firing at small fatigue parties, and only allow a few shots to be fired into Charleston during each twenty-four hours into different parts of the city, to render their movement of troops insecure.

During the last week I have had 3 men (One hundred and twenty-seventh New York Volunteers) wounded by the explosion of a torpedo on Battery Island, and 1 man (Fifty-fourth Massachusetts) killed while on picket on Morris Island by the enemy's shells.