mountain howitzers and two 6- pounders, 100. These troops are nearly all mounted and appear to be in a fair state of discipline. They are armed mainly with infantry muskets. Their subsistence is fresh beef, corn meal, and occasionally flour. Clothing poor and insufficient.

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

FRANK W. MARSTON,

Major, Signal Corps, U. S. Army, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, December 7, 1864.

[Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN:]

COLONEL: One of my couriers is in from Pascagoula; left December 2. The last news of position of the enemy is as follows; General Frank Gardner wit about 10,000 militia at Columbia, Miss. These he does not consider trustworthy, and has sent to Mobile for regular troops. He also has at Mount Carmel, his headquarters, two regiments cavalry, and three regiments cavalry, at Brandon, under McCulloch, three batteries artillery. There are about 2,000 regular troops at Jackson, Miss. They expect at Columbia a raid 12,000 strong from Baton Rouge to Selma or the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Dick Taylor is in Tennessee; Maury in command in his absence. Sherman is reported moving on Savannah. All telegraph lines east of Mobile are destroyed. It is reported that Greensburg, in Saint Helena Parish, was occupied by our cavalry last Wednesday without a fight. This is his report. How much of this force may have been drawn north by Dana I cannot state, not having his dates of movement.

Respectfully,

S. A. HURLBUT,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
New Orleans, La., December 7, 1864.

THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL OF THE ARMY,

Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have the honor to request that Major General G. M. Dodge, who from last accounts was at Saint Louis awaiting orders, may be ordered to report to Major General N. J. T. Dana, commanding Districts of West Tennessee and Vicksburg, for assignment to duty as commander of the District of West Tennessee.

Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

ED. R. S. CANBY,

Major- General, Commanding.

DEVALL'S BLUFF, December 7, 1864- 11.30 a. m.

Captain S. E. GRAVES,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

I sent the Mattie this morning with 100 men to Augusta, with orders to surround that place at daylight to- morrow morning and capture any pickets there.

C. C. ANDREWS,

Brigadier-General.