to Texas. Fort De Russy has been dismantled and is now occupied only as a picket station. Magruder's headquarters were at Washington, Ark. The gun-boat Missouri came down to Alexandria on the 4th and anchored opposite Fort Randolph. She is built on the plan of the iron-clad Tennessee, her sides having 35 degrees slope and being covered with two thicknesses of railroad iron, matched in by inverting the outer layer. This iron has also a horizontal angle of 35 degrees corresponding with the angle of the sides. There are no wheel houses visible. She is pierced with seven ports, but has only three guns, one 11-inch gun forward and two 6-inch rifles aft. The rifles are so arranged in the angles of the stern that they can be used astern or on the sides. The two ports not used are on the sides. She is very slow, not being able to stem the current alone. It is not intended to take her below the falls. The Webb is used simply as a ram, and has no guns on her. The Mary T. has no guns, and acts as tender to the Missouri. The deserters from Ross' brigade in Mississippi reported to Buckner and received furloughs for sixty days. The informant thinks that the leaders in the Trans-Mississippi Department are still resolute to hold out, but the rank and file have had enough of the war. A scout who was in Alexandria on the 3rd and 4th reports that he was informed that the works at that place had been condemned by General Buckner, and were to be abandoned. The Seventeenth Louisiana Infantry, Colonel Reddit, numbers 300, but have no arms, being composed of the Vicksburg paroled prisoners. There was a six-gun battery (Connor) in that place. At Cotile Bayou were four regiments of infantry and part of another, under command of Brigadier-General Richardson. Polignac's old brigade of his division went into Texas before Forney's division, thus leaving only Mouton's brigade in the vicinity of Natchitoches, Mr. McGuire, a scout, reports that he went to Trinity, Harrisburg. Columbia, and Monroe, La. He reports that the rebels in that section are drawing part of their supplies from along the Tensas River. There were thirty men at Trinity under command of Captain Sewell, forty men at Harrisonburg under Captain Gillespie, and forty men at Columbia under Captain James. The garrison of Monroe numbers about 250, of which 130 are Texans, thirty of McNeill's command, and two companies of Harrison's Regiment (Tensas Cavalry). They have four pieces of artillery, two of which are utterly useless, and none of them manned. Colonel Ike Harrison's headquarters are there. Dr. W. B. Larkin, who left Monroe, La., on the 3rd instant, states that the country is entirely overrun with Confederate scouts and jayhawkers. A perfect reign of terror exists among the inhabitants, who are praying for the occupation of the country by the U. S. forces. Many of the prominent men in Monroe and along the Washita River are Union men, and are organized for mutual protection in a secret league. Deserters from Mississippi state Mabry's old brigade was broken up and the regiments assigned to other brigades. The Fourth and Sixth Mississippi Cavalry were transferred to Starke's brigade. The Fourteenth Confederate Cavalry and the Thirty-eighth Mississippi were transferred to Wirt Adams' brigade.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. M. JACKSON,

Major, Tenth U. S. Colored Artillery.

(In absence of Captain S. M. Eaton, chief signal officer, Military Division of West Mississippi.)

(Copy to Lieutenant-Colonel Christensen.)