JUNE 29.

RICHARD B. IRWIN:

Yes.

ALDEN,

Captain.

JULY 1.

General BANKS:

About 6,000 contrabands here; please send a boat to take them.

ALDEN,

Captain.

JULY 7.

Admiral FARRAGUT:

Bands will play, and we shall fire salute of one hundred guns from right and left at noon. I shall be glad if you will participate with us.

N. P. BANKS,

Major-General, Commanding.

JULY 7.

General BANKS:

I am detaining the General Price to take Colonel Smith back to Vicksburg. If he intends returning, pray send him at once.

PALMER

Commodore.

JULY 7.

Commodore PALMER;

General Banks is writing dispatches to General Grant. I will send them in a few minutes. Colonel Smith remains.

RICH'D B. IRWIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

JULY 7.

Commodore PALMER:

Your officer has arrived. Have you dispatches yet?

RICH'D B. IRWIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES H. RUNDLETT

Second Lieutenant Co. K, Fiftieth Mass. Vols., and Actg. Signal Officer.

Lieutenant GEORGE R. HERBERT.

Adjutant of Signal Corps.

Numbers 16 Report of Lieutenant E. H. Russell, Ninth Pennsylvania Reserves, Acting Signal Officer, of operations May 24-July 11.

NEW ORLEANS, LA.,

July 27, 1863

SIR: I have the honor to present the following report of signal duty performed by me at siege of Port Hudson, La., beginning on the 24th of May, 1863, and ending on the 11th of July, 1863:

On the 24th of May, 1863, I reported for duty to Captain William B. Roe, acting chief signal officer at headquarters Department of the Gulf, above Port Hudson, La.

I was directed to report on the 26th of May to Brigadier General G. Weitzel, commanding a division of the right wing of our forces before Port Hudson.