I hope to see you very soon down here. I do not believe the court will give you much trouble.

Please excuse me for writing unofficially on business matters.

I am, general, sincerely yours,

DABNEY H. MAURY,

Major-General.

[Indorsement.]

OFFICE ---.

This has been ready by General Hardee.

BENJ. S. EWELL,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Abstract from returns of the Department of the Gulf, Major General Dabney H. Maury, C. S. Army, commanding, for August, 1863.

Present for

duty.

Stations, &c. Offic Men Effect Aggreg Aggreg

ers ive ate ate

total presen presen

presen t t and

t absent

Department staff 12 --- --- 12 13

Mobile 109 1,615 1,794 2,292 3,150

Forts Morgan, Gaines, 50 953 1,103 1,248 1,503

&c.

Pollard 70 1,199 1,279 1,555 2,470

Hall's Mills 13 214 224 265 450

Selma 13 67 86 107 136

Talladega 12 91 105 127 240

Total 279 4,139 4,591 5,606 7,962

RECAPITULATION.

Infantry -- --- 1,534 --- ---

Artillery -- --- 2,188 --- ---

Cavalry -- --- 869 --- ---

[NOTE ON ORIGINAL.]-Brigadier General S. B. Maxey's brigade not incorporated in this report, they only reporting August 31. Field return shows effective total, 1,834; total, 1,987; aggregate present, 2,242.

SMITHFIELD POST-OFFICE,

Polk County, Tex., August 31, 1863.

Captain EDMUND P. TURNER,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

SIR: I have the honor to report that immediately on receiving your order of the 7th instant to furnish information with a view to the location of iron-works on Trinity River, I addressed letters to gentlemen in the iron region of the highest character and intelligence and long residence in our State, thinking it better to rely on their combined information, acquired through a series of years, than on the doubtful and unsatisfactory results of such an examination as I would have been able to make in person. Their replies have begun to reach me; and as I have already received enough to establish the material facts, I think it better to report at once, under the possibility of General [Benjamin]