use of your teams. in conclusion I take pleasure in assuring you that your energetic and intelligent discharge of the duties intrusted to you has received the full approbation of this Bureau.

A. L. RIVES,

Colonel.

If the community are much inconvenienced by the seizure of the flatboat for the Appomattox bridge it would be well to endeavor to return it or replace it by another as soon as practicable.

A. L. R.

HEADQUARTERS, Wilmington, July 4, 1864.

General S. COOPER, Adjt. and Inspt. General, Richmond:

GENERAL: I send you for the information of the President the accompanying letter of General Hebert, not that the matters referred to have not been fully pointed out heretofore, but as bearing out my own views, and especially because I think the time has come if this port is worth keeping to be ready. and first as to the letter of General H. I call attention to the passages marked. A point of great importance is that while each of the three garrisons-Bald Head, Fisher, and Caswell (the loss of either of which would entail that of all, see maps) -is inadequate to its own defense, they cannot be united for the defense of any one of them attacked or withdrawn to aid the city, more exposed than either. the plans and various expositions of the system of defenses show this. Second, the allusion to Cushing is to the enterprising commander of the two expeditions of the enemy which have succeeded in passing my forts by both entrances the first time carrying off General H.'s engineer, Captain Kelly, the last coming to within eight miles of Wilmington, lying concealed in a creek for four days, and finally cutting the telegraph to Fort Fisher, and capturing and carrying off the mail carrier from Fisher with the provision returns, three soldiers taken fishing, three citizens likewise, and two women; passing on their way out by two of the army picket-boats which I have established. There is much more in this last expedition than would at first appearing and let loose. they have made their way from there on foot. Cushing commands the Monticello, and his exploit and information was regarded as so important that he was at once sent with his vessel to report at the North. Third, there is no doubt that in this State, and among some of the troops here who have not been in the field, there is a spirit of disaffection, and General H. is right in saying that all are not to be relied on. Fourth, he is correct in saying that his force is not increased by the reserves, some 250 only, both for the reasons assigned and because they only replace two small battalions of his artillery, which I have been compelled to place in the city and at Masonborough.

Previous to Cushing's expedition the enemy had been making constant nighty and daily landings between Fisher and Masonborough. Owing to an entire want of cavalry and any supporting force I was unable to prevent or punish them. It was to stop their means of communication that I advocated stopping the North Carolina Salt-Works, with their disloyal conscripts, and the removal of the families living along the line. Owing to the interference of the Government this has not been done. Since that expedition, however, the enemy appear only at night when they are actively engaged in locating buoys for the Masonborough inlets and for an outside anchorage. At daylight their steamers can be occa-