CITY POINT, VA., March 1, 1865-3. 30 p. m.

(Received 4. 15 p. m.)

Major-General HALLECK,

Washington:

Was not the order sent for Canby to organize two corps, naming Steele and A. J. Smith as commanders? I so understood. I am in receipt of a letter saying that Granger and Smith are the commanders. If so, I despair of any good service being done.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON, FLAG-SHIP BLACK HAWK,

Mound City, March 1, 1865.

Major General E. R. S. CANBY,

Commanding Military Division of West Mississippi:

GENERAL: I have received an official copy of your communication of 3rd ultimo to Lieutenant-General Foster. Lieutenant Commander E. C. Grafton is now in command of the Third District, including Red River, and I have directed him to give particular attention to this matter, and comply with your request for guard or convoy. I have also instructed Lieutenant-Commander Foster, now in command of the Fourth District, to furnish additional men for the purpose, if necessary.

Very respectfully, yours,

S. P. LEE,

Acting Rear-Admiral, Commanding Mississippi Squadron.

MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON, FLAG-SHIP BLACK HAWK,

Mound City, March 1, 1865.

Major General E. R. S. CANBY,

Commanding Mil. Div. of West Mississippi, New Orleans:

GENERAL: Yours of February 22, by your aide, Captain Melville, is received to-day at 11 a. m., inclosing your confidential circular to department and district commanders. On the 1st instant I sent orders from New Orleans by a special dispatch-boat for the two best light-draft iron-clads then at this point to be dispatched immediately to New Orleans to report to the commander of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, and gave orders on my way u for four tin-clads to join and tow them as they passed down the river. On my arrival here on the 14th instant I found that the iron-clads had not yet been sent, the repairs of one (the Osage) not being completed and the other (the Neosho) being broken down. I immediately substituted the next best light-draft iron-clad, the Cincinnati, just out of quarantine for small-pox, but needing some repairs to her boilers, which I thought could be sooner made at New Orleans than here. I made every effort to hasten them, and the iron-clads Osage and Cincinnati left here on the 16th. I also ordered that in case the Cincinnati needed it, one of the fastest vessels on the river should also take her in tow. All the vessels were unprovided with fresh-water condensers, as I stated when they were asked for at New Orleans and in a communication addressed to Commodore Palmer or Admiral Thatcher. The delay of fitting these here would have been too great, and these vessels could be better supplied for temporary service at New Orleans. These vessels, the loss of which greatly weakens the naval force on the Mississippi, especially as four monitors were transferred from this to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron