capture the guns, which are fine heavy 32-pounders, and might have been transported up the Red River to be used against us there. I shall go on making my preparations for the rise.

Yours, very truly and sincerely,

DAVID D. PORTER,

Rear-Admiral.

DONALDSONVILLE, LA., March 5, 1864. (Received 8 p.m.)

Brigadier General C. P. STONE,

Chief of Staff:

Colonel Dudley's brigade of cavalry arrived here at 4 this p.m. Are now encamped here. Will leave to-morrow morning for Thibodeaux. Nothing further to report.

W. O. FISKE,

Colonel, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, March 5, 1864.

Major General JOHN A. McCLERNAND,

Commanding Thirteenth Army Corps:

GENERAL: I have the honor to state to you that the major-general commanding is informed that the evacuation [of] Indianola by our forces will expose many families who have taken the oath of allegiance to the United States to the danger of expulsion from their homes. He desires that the officer commanding at Matagorda Island be instructed to receive all such persons for their proper subsistence, and to furnish through the quartermaster's department transportation to New Orleans for all such who may desire it.

Very respectfully, general, your most obedient servant,

CHAS. P. STONE,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES IN TEXAS,
Fort Esperanza, March 5, 1864.

Brigadier General C. P. STONE,

Chief of Staff:

Your communication of the 17th ultimo is just received. I cannot tell what has caused its delay. Not having heard anything from Major-General Ord in reply to my application to be relived from duty in the Thirteenth Corps, I concluded he had not forwarded it, and I have since made another application through the headquarters of the corps to the headquarters of the Department of the Gulf to the same end. I had reasons for making that application, some of which are personal to myself, which I did not care to state; but there are other reasons which I have no doubt the commanding general will indulge me in considering justifiable without unreasonable selfishness on my part.

This corps is divided into four divisions, of such numerical strength as are now often commanded in our service by colonels, most usually