closely reconnoitered or broken up if possible at the earliest moment, for this purpose a column will be sent out from General Stevens' command, to consist of two good regiments, supported by two pieces of artillery, which are before daylight to-morrow morning to take os as near as possible without alarming the pickets of the enemy toward or at the angle of the causeway running northeast and the wall running north at the house of S. Legare, north of the marsh, about one-half mile north of General Stevens' advanced camp. It is believed this battery is from one-fourth to one-third mile north on this angle, and a rush will be made upon and toward it (the men avoiding the actual line of the road whenever practicable) at between 3 o'clock and the earliest daylight.

A selected regiment of General Wright's command will be stationed at the same hour as quietly as possible in the thin woods about 1 mile a little north of east of Thomas Grimball's to support this movement and to distract the attention of the enemy.

It will be important that the regiment from General Wright's command shall not move until the firing shall have become well sustained between General Stevens' column and the enemy, or until they shall have been signaled, as is suggested, by rockets; for the last column, if in the dark, it is suggested that rockets of one color, say red, should be with General Stevens' to burn, and another, say blue, with General Wright's regiment, and whenever a doubt arises as to position a rocket should be sent up by the party in doubt, to be answered by the other; a selected non-commissioned officer to be near the commanding officer of each detachment for this purpose.

The main command, or both united if necessary, will go forward well up on the road from S. Legare's, say for 1 or 2 miles, to examine that road and the woods and fields on this side of it if possible up to the woods around the church, returning as soon as this duty shall have been accomplished, unless indeed they shall hear firing in advance and to their left, when the commanding officer may in his discretion, if he can do so with effect, advance toward the woods in which the church is situated, to cut off any parties that may be driven out of these woods by a force under Colonel Williams, which is expected to be there at about the same time. This latter force will be organized by General Wright under Colonel Williams, to consist of two good regiments and two pieces of artillery, and to start soon after 3 o'clock p. m.; and the object of this is to reconnoiter to the left and front of General Wright's camp and toward the church, the object being to scour the passages through or around these woods to the rear of the church if it can be done without too great exposure or loss to our force-and it is left to the discretion of Colonel Williams to leave these woods if the can pass on his right or left or go through them, and if successful in getting to the rear he may perhaps unite with and, if he does, will take command of the other detachments, and make a further reconnaissance and destruction of the works of the enemy to the front or to bring them off safely.

Colonel Williams should be provided with rockets of a color similar to that in General Stevens' column or preferably of a third color; these, it is suggested, may be obtained from the courtesy of the naval officers by General Wright and Stevens sending for them.

The ambulances should be taken with each column, and the men should have full canteens and a full cooked ration each.

It is of the utmost importance, it will be recollected by all commanding officers, that the best arrangements possible should be made to prevent confusion in our different columns and to secure them from collis-