will be left at Boyd's Neck. Six 20-pounder or 30-pounder Parrotts are to be sent here immediately; also eight or ten wagons, and horses for the wagons an also to drag the guns. If there is not a sufficient number of horses that can be spared from Hilton Head, take quartermaster's horses from Morris Island. General Halleck has ordered the firing at Morris Island on Fort Sumter and the city of cease temporarily, and consequently the horses will not be needed there to drag ammunition. Send here twenty or thirty recruits for Day's battery, who are now at Hilton Head, and any other artillery or ordnance men unassigned to duty let them report to the ordnance officer at Hilton Head, to come up with the heavy guns. Order the remainder of the battery at Beaufort, one section to Mackay's Point (horse, if possible), and one section to Boyd's Neck, which may be without horses. Lieutenant Arnold goes to Hilton Head about the ordnance, but the general desires you to issue the necessary orders, and to see that they are promptly complied with. Please show this letter, or a copy of it, to Colonel Thomas.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN C. GRAY, Jr.,

Major, Judge-Advocate and Acting Aide-de-Camp.

HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT, OF THE SOUTH,
FIRST SEPARATE BRIGADE,

Morris Island, S. C., December 7, 1864.

Lieutenant W. B. DEAN,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd, directing, by command of Major General J. G. Foster, that all firing should cease from the batteries in this district bearing upon the city and harbor of Charleston till such time as Lieutenant-Colonel Mulford, U. S. agent of exchange, should notify me that the truce was over. In compliance with which I caused all work of a military nature on the batteries at Cummings' point and all firing from said batteries to cease. Early on the morning of the 5th the enemy opened fire with sharpshooters from fort Sumter. Thinking this was done through mistake, and not with the intention of violating the truce, I did not open fire upon the city, but did order the batteries on Cummings' Point to open fire upon Fort Sumter and the batteries on James Island. At about noon the enemy sent a small boat from Fort Sumter bearing a white flag. This boat was met by a navy picket-boat, and a communication, of which the inclosed (marked A), is a true copy (see preceding letter to Lieutenant-Colonel Mulford), was by the navy picket-boat, brought ashore to me, upon receipt of thick I ordered the batteries of cease firing, and sent a communication, of which the inclosed (marked B(is a true copy, to the commanding officer of Fort Sumter, by the navy picket-boat.

The troops of this command are in good health and spirits. Nothing worthy of mention has transpired since the departure of Brigadier General J. P. Hatch, with the exception of the above.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. N. HALLOWELL,

Colonel Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers,

Commanding Northern District, Department of the South.