These refugees are from the plantation of Daniel Lesesne, Christ Church Parish, near Wando River, uncle of Captain Lesesne, of the First South Carolina Heavy Artillery; the escaped in a small boat, passing the city, Forts Ripley, Johnson, and Sumter, leaving about 10 p. m. on the 6th instant. They being field hands their report is rather vague and much credence cannot be attached to the minutia of it, though on the whole it tallies with the information previously in our possession.

I have the honor also to append the report* of the chief medical officer in regard to their physical fitness for military duty.

I have the honor to be, general, your obedient servant,

WM. GURNEY,

Colonel 127th New York Volunteers, Commanding Post.

HDQRS. DISTRICT OF FLORIDA, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,
Jacksonville, May 9, 1864.

Colonel J. C. BEECHER,

Commanding Thirty-fifth U. S. Colored Troops:

COLONEL: I have the honor, by the direction of Brigadier-General Gordon, commanding district, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 8th May, addressed to Lieutenant R. M. Hall, acting assistant adjutant-general.

Rations will be sent up by your quartermaster, who will also take with him enough baggage to make yourself and officers comfortable. The men must hut, as the general has not determined whether to withdraw your forces or not. You will take command of all the troops at Picolata, allowing Lieutenant Colonel J. C. Carmichael to follow out the plan of picketing the river which he has hitherto adopted. The general desires the greatest vigilance to be exercised in watching for torpedoes. The Harriet A. Weed was to-day blow up by one in the river below Jacksonville. Five men were killed, and the vessel was a total loss.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN C. GRAY, JR.,

Second Lieutenant and Aide-de-Camp.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST FLORIDA,
Barrancas, May 9, 1864.

Brigadier General WILLIAM DWIGHT,

Chief of Staff, Department of the Gulf:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of April 26 and beg to report everything safe and quiet.

The Eighty-second Regiment U. S. Infantry (colored), Zulavsky commanding, has arrived, but the Twenty-fifth U. S. Infantry, (colored) has not yet complied with department Field Orders, Numbers 26 and is not heard of.

In my report to General Stone, of April 22, Numbers 227, I stated that the larger portion of the troops concentrated at Pollard started suddenly on railroad for Dalton or Richmond (about 7,000 in number), leaving at Pollard 3,000; at McDade's Pond between the Yellow and Pea Rivers, 2,000; near Milton, 1,000; at Canoe Railroad Station, 16 miles below Pollard, 700; near Pensacola, 1,500; near the mouth of

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*Omitted.

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