landed them. Night of 10th Lieutenant O'Rorke with party commenced magazines and platforms at Venus Point.

February 11.- Continued getting battery and road materials to Jones Island. In the evening Captain Gillmore went to Jones Island with fresh men to get the guns forward. Major Beard, Lieutenant Wilson, Topographical Engineers, and Lieutenant H. Porter, ordnance, in charge of fatigue parties as before. Six guns, viz 8-inch siege howitzers, three 30 and two 20 pounder Parrott guns, being limbered up, they were placed on plank runs on the roadway of poles across the march. Lieutenant Wilson and 35 men had the howitzers and one 30-pounder in advance; Major Beard and Lieutenant Porter, with a rather larger force, the other four pieces in rear. Each party had two spare planks with which the runway was prolonged to the front. When the guns were raw forward with drag-ropes the rear planks were taken up and carried to the front. The men sink to the knees or deeper in the mud. The planks get smeared and the guns run off, the wheels sinking to the hubs. The men encased their feet and legs in sand bags. Captain Gillmore returned at 1 a. m. to New River and brought a scow load of ammunition over. The platforms assn magazines at venus Point were ready for service by daybreak. Lieutenant Wilson's two pieces were in position at 2.30 a. m., Major Beard and Lieutenant Porter's four pieces at 8.30 a. m. (12th). Captain Gillmore was able to report (same day) to General Sherman that Venus Point and the Savannah passage were held by a six-gun battery erected "last night."

[Inclosure Numbers 3.]

DUNN'S PLACE, DAUFUSKIE ISLAND,

January 28, 1862 - 10 p. m.

General THOMAS W. SHERMAN,

Commanding Expeditionary Corps, Hilton Head, S. C.:

GENERAL: I returned to this place an examination of Jones Island about an hour since and have received your two communications. I landed on Jones Island from Mud River about half a mile from the upper point of island, and there struck a course due south, through the marsh, to the Savannah River, and thence down the river to within about 150 yards of the Coats Survey tower on Venus Point, where farther progress was arrested by a deep creek. Below this reek and between it and Venus Point the land is evidently not so good for batteries as it is just above the creek. Here batteries can be erected. The surface has not been submerged by any recent tides. It is at least 18 inches above ordinary high water. I shall propose to General Viele and Captain Hamilton to take sand in bags form Daufuskie Island to raise the platforms 8 or 10 inches above the natural surface. Sand bags to cover the magazine can also be filled at Daufuskie. The embrasures (if any are made) and the interior slope of the parapet need not be reverted with bags, as the soil is mostly used and will stand very well. Under the protection of gunboats all the guns in the lighters can be placed on shore and in battery in on night. It will not be necessary to crowd the guns very near each other, and I would prefer to have them some distance apart and to cover them as soon as possible with splinter-proofs. The men to erect and man the battery can be made comfortable by raising the ground on which they pitch their tents (to keep them above the water) and by using in the plenty of swamp grass as a subsisted for straw. It will answer the purpose very well. I have not been able to communicate with General Viele or Captain Hamilton since