Paducah. One cause of this change is that General Veatch, instead of occupying Purdy, came away, and I had no notice of his coming till we heard of his troops at Florence.

I am, &c.,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

FORT STEVENS, PASS MANCHAC, April 8, 1864.

Lieutenant R. SKINNER,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Dist. of Carrollton:

SIR: I have the honor to return Captain Morse's dispatch,* forwarded to me by general commanding, for information. The rebels' project would be feasible could they surprise the post at De Sair, but we are on the alert, and I fear not such a thing. Nevertheless, I have re-enforced the detachment there, and I shall increase it to about 40 men as soon as Lieutenant Freeland will return from his expedition. I expect him to-day; until then I cannot make any reconnaissance on the lakes. I suppose that the duty on which Lieutenant Dunning has been detached has something to do with that. I shall take immediately the necessary measures to obstruct Bayou De Sair and Shellbank Bayou; the first runs 1 mile north of the said railroad station, and the other about 1 1/2 miles south of it; it is by the last that an attempt is more probable. As to Pass Manchac, the fort can be attacked only when the post at De Sair is taken. I have only 1 commissioned officer on duty with the company, and he is absent for the present. I think that it would be well if one more could be detailed for ut here, but I believe that there are no dispensable officers in the regiment. The general commanding can be satisfied that I shall give the most earnest attention to this matter, and I hope that we shall be ready for any emergency.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

M. HAWKE,

Captain, Commanding Post.

BROWNSVILLE, TEX., April 8, 1864.

Major General N. P. BANKS,

Commanding Department of the Gulf:

GENERAL: Having visited the line of the Rio Grande for the purpose of enabling myself to comply with your instructions sending me to Texas, I have the honor to offer the following report of my observations and action upon this frontier: I found Senor Juan N. Cortina, the Governor and military commandant of Tamaulipas, somewhat estranged toward us by reason of the representations of rebel agents and interest cotton-traders, to the effect that we were favorable to his late rival and wished to entrap him into our power. To remove this impression I immediately brought about a personal interview with him, when he frankly repeated in substance what i have already stated, adding that he wished to we our friend, and that our success was necessary to the security of Mexico, not only against transmarine nations but against the ambitious arms and aggressive spirit of the so-called Confederate Government.