I regard his statements reliable as far as he had opportunities for getting information, I give them to you. There were at Alexandria on Monday, 21st instant, eighteen gun-boats, twenty-two transports, one small stern-wheel gun-boat, and three propeller tugs (tenders). All the gun-boats but the stern-wheeler were large boats and heavily loaded with coal. A steam-boat acquaintance of Captain Sweney connected with the fleet told him that none of the gun-boats drew less than 9 feet except the stern-wheel boat. The propeller tugs had crossed the falls back and forth two or three times. A pilot named Tennison, known to Captain S., told him he had sounded the falls once or twice and found only 6 feet of water on them. Captain Sweney says, however, there was at least 7 feet water on the falls then, but it would require a rise of 2 to 4 feet more to let the large gun-boats over. The transports were of a class of boats that could cross the falls then. There was an infantry force of about 6,000 at Alexandria; not much artillery nor much cavalry. He heard Fort De Russy had been destroyed. Banks was not in Alexandria. General Smith was in command. The enemy were appropriating the provisions, wood, cotton, stores, &c., belonging to the citizens, and wantonly destroying what they did not have use for. Captain Sweney was present or in sight when a captain of one of the boats there was bargaining with a woman to buy a hogshead of sugar. An officer rose up and prohibited the purchase of the sugar, and said they had come to take not to buy. A boat had gone down from Alexandria loaded with cotton. General Smith was called on to know whether citizens would be paid for cotton,&c., taken from them. His reply was:"We did not come here to buy; we came to take. At the end of the war those who can establish that they were loyal to the United States when their property was taken from them will be paid for it." The negroes were all gone from Cotile down to Alexandria. Those not carried off by their owners had run away or been taken by the Yankees. Captain Sweney was taken prisoner by a squad of Yankee cavalry at Judge Boyce's house on the night of the 21st instant. They kept him prisoner in the neighborhood until the evening of the 22nd., when they released him. Captain Sweney says there was no force of the enemy about Cotile on the evening of the 22nd, the force that operated against the Second Louisiana Cavalry on the night of 21st having gone back to Alexandria, or in that direction. The only advance of the enemy this side of Cotile up to the time that Captain Sweney passed up was by a small force of cavalry that came out to Mrs. Griffith's, this side of Cotile 3 miles, on 20th, and went back.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. H. MAY,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,
Shreveport, La., March 24, 1864.

Major General R. TAYLOR,

Commanding District of West Louisiana:

GENERAL: The lieutenant-general commanding directs me to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 19th instant, and to say General Prices' division will be at Shreveport to-morrow morning. He directs that you keep him constantly advised whether