ganza. The commanding officer reports that the Autocrat went down last night with the Forty-sixth and five companies of the Sixty-first U. S. Colored Infantry, all being a part of the four regiments to arrive, of which I dispatched you this day. The other five companies of the Sixty-first U. S. Colored Infantry will be sent you from New Orleans. You will stop the next regiment of colored troops coming down and take them off. The steamer Raine will be sent to New Orleans to report to the chief quartermaster as soon as unloaded.

F. J. HERRON,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES,
Brazos Santiago, Tex., February 28, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel GEORGE B. DRAKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the Gulf:

SIR: I have the honor to state for the information of the major-general commanding the following items of news: The rebels are yet at Brownsville, about 600 to 800 strong, mostly mounted; have six pieces of artillery - two rifled Parrotts; the others are smooth-bore. They are reported to be in a demoralized state, and numbers of them are deserting from time to time. Not much cotton there. With 100 or 200 cavalry and enough horses for one or two pieces of artillery, and with an order, permission, or consent of the general commanding, I could occupy the place any day. The need of horses and mounted men at this post has been long apparent and previously reported. We I to occupy Brownsville it could only be temporarily, as the military and fatigue duties of this post would prevent me sparing a sufficient forced to garrison the place, and I would prefer not to take the place and then be compelled to abandon it immediately again, because there are hundreds of persons so zealous for our success in that region that if they were to show by any indications (as they would very likely do) that their sympathies were in our cause, as soon as we withdrew they would either have to abandon their homes and families or "die the death"; but if Brownsville could be occupied permanently it would not doubt be beneficial and add to the interest and goof of the service in preventing the immense contraband trade continually carried on between Matamoras and the former place.

I await orders, and have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. B. JONES,

Colonel, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES,
Brazos Santiago, Tex., February 28, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel GEORGE B. DRAKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the Gulf:

SIR: I have the honor to state for the information of the general commanding the following matters of interest relating to this command: First, the work allotted to the quartermaster's department has progressed well thus far. The post hospital, 24 by 175 feet, which is a well-ventilated and commodious building, is complete; kitchen, dining-room, and store-house, building 18 by 48, and surgeon's office, 12 by 22, complete; laundry, matron's and attendants' room, 18 by 40, nearly complete; guard-house for each regiment and one for post