HEADQUARTERS DEFENSES OF NEW ORLEANS,
New Orleans, September 5, 1864.

Brigadier General R. A. CAMERON,

Commanding La Fourche District:

The general commanding directs me to say that the security of your pickets and patrolling cavalry, as well as that of your position, are dependent greatly upon our full knowledge of the country between the La Fourche and Grand River. The general has observed with great satisfaction a disposition on your part to get a good knowledge of this country, and from the information you have already collected it would appear that the communication through from Paincourtville, La., to the head of and around Lake Verret is very imperfect; that there is no direct communication from the La Fourche to Lake Natchez, but that you are compelled to go around by the village of Bayou Goula and Indian Village to get to Lake Natchez. Is this right? If these are ascertained facts it would appear that the topography of the country is easily understood. But, nevertheless, parties of the enemy come in toward Bayou Corn, and in sufficient numbers to surround and capture our patrols. The country must certainly be as difficult for the enemy as for us. If there be any means of crossing the bayous between Grand River and Grand Bayou, such as ferries and bridges, would it not be wise to break them up and capture and destroy every skiff and boat that can be found? The theory of the defense of the La Fourche country is that no enemy in force can penetrate the country lining the banks of Grand River, and that to attack with the help of artillery and cavalry he must come by the way of Brashear or Indian Village. The small parties which might, by dint of exertion and secret movements, get across Grand River and into the country in your front, ought to be successfully met and resisted by pickets and patrols. By good management on the part of the officer in charge of a patrol or reconnaissance, he ought very seldom, if every, allow himself to be surprised or surrounded. As to a perfect knowledge of the topography of that country you will have to depend on your own reconnaissances. The general has seen the map recently got up here Mr. Hyer. It contains no additional information to that of preceding maps nor is Mr. Hyer himself acquainted with any of the country beyond Bayou Corn, or any of it north of the crossing of that bayou. The general would send a topographical engineer over if he had one, but after repeated applications he has failed to get any assistance of this sort from the headquarters of the Department of the Gulf.

I am, sir, respectfully,

FREDERIC SPEED,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS LA FOURCHE DISTRICT,
Thibodeaux, La., September 5, 1864.

Major JOHN H. CLYBOURN,

Commanding Post, Napoleonville, La.:

SIR: The general commanding is satisfied from information in his possession that the enemy are preparing forces in the neighborhood of Franklin send out a force immediately to scour the country about Grand River, Bayou Natchez, Bayou Pigeon, and Grand Lake, to destroy all boats pirogues that may in any way serve to transport the