[Inclosure.]

HAVANA, May 17, 1864.

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Now I'll tell you something about Galveston, which I left on the 1st day of this month. There are 2,000 troops stationed there. They have five land forts, with about twenty guns, none heavier than 48-pounders, except two guns made from the shaft of the steamer Westfield; they are 64-pounders, and are expected to throw a shot 6 miles. The remains of the Westfield are still visible. The steamer that captured the Harriet Lane (the Bayou City) is till lying in Galveston and keeps up steam day and night. She is an old high-pressure river boat, and has cotton piled up as high as the hurricane deck all around her and boarded in. She has one 64-pounder on the lower deck and a 32-pounder on the upper deck.

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SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. 19TH A. C. AND U. S. FORCES, No. 121. Morganza, La., May 27, 1864.

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7. As soon as all the surplus horses and mules, and all the surplus wagons, ambulances, and other appurtenances which are not assigned to any army corps, are shipped from this point, the movement of the fourth Division of the Thirteenth Army Corps will be resumed. One-half of the division will be retained at Baton Rouge, and the other half will move on to Donaldsonville, to occupy the La Fourche country, provided no orders from higher authority are received changing the destination of these troops. On the arrival at Baton Rouge of that half the division destined for the La Fourche country, the commanding officer at Baton Rouge, before debarking the troops, will telegraph to department headquarters and ask if there are any other instructions to be given before progressing on the march.

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By command of Brigadier-General Emory:

FREDERIC SPEED,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

DEVALL'S BLUFF, May 27, 1864.

Captain C. H. DYER,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

I have just received a report from Major Drummond, in command of the scouting party sent out yesterday evening. This morning he was near Des Arc. He arrested a rebel soldier to-day who admitted that he belonged to Price's army, and said he had left it last evening to see his wife, and that the rebel force would cross the river above Des Arc to-day. Major Drummond was hurrying forward with great haste.

M. M. TRUMBULL,

Colonel, Commanding Post.