assigning to duty within the limits of Georgia an officer of rank higher than that of the officer commanding in the district or sub-district in which his services may be needed. Major-General Cobb is not subject to orders from these headquarters and has not communicated with them. Officers of the reserve forces of Georgia cannot, therefore, claim district commands by virtue of superior rank.

You can assign Brigadier-General Jackson to duty at such point as you deem best, and allow him to report directly to your headquarters, but so long as the reserve troops he commands remain in your district under the order of General Cobb they can be used at any point within the District of Georgia.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHAS. S. STRINGFELLOW,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF S. CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA,
Charleston, S. C., June 24, 1864.

Major General L. McLAWS,

Commanding at Savannah:

GENERAL: I am instructed by the major-general commanding to authorize you to send through the enemy's lines, via Port Royal Ferry, the families of those men who have deserted to the enemy. In future all communication with the enemy will be through Port Royall Ferry and not through Florida, without an order from these headquarters to that effect. I have to-day addressed a communication to the medical director informing him that it is considered judicious that the office of chief surgeon of the Third Military District should be merged with that of the District of Georgia. In a letter written to you of this date you will find the position of the reserve officers laid down as interpreted by these headquarters. The very light armament of Barnwell's, Jo. Thompson, and Clinch's batteries is under consideration, and will be improved if practicable.

The major-general commanding directs that you release the two men, Fry, on parole, provided they report daily at your headquarters.

A report has been forwarded to the War Department in reference to the untrustworthy element in the Twenty-second Georgia Battalion, with a recommendation that these men be weeded out and able-bodied conscripts supplied to fill their places from the conscript camp. It would be as well to transfer the dismounted men of the Fourth Georgia Cavalry, unable to remount themselves, to depleted companies in this battalion.

It is understood that there are between 20 or 30 of these men in Fourth Georgia Cavalry. It has been suggested, and with an air of probability, that the double-turreted monitors seen off Savannah, and another one seen to pass the bar the day before yesterday, are ordinary monitors, equipped with a movable deck-house. If this view is correct, it will account for the difference of opinion, as expressed by your officers.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. FEILDEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.