HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,
Hilton Head, Port Royal, S. C., September [10?], 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Commander-in-Chief, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: The steamship Ericsson arrived here this morning from Fort Monroe with orders from the quartermaster to bring a portion of the First Massachusetts Cavalry. As your instructions of the 26th and 28th ultimo have not been countermanded by the War Department I shall not send any more cavalry. I have therefore directed the department quartermaster to send the steamship direct to New york to-day, as here services may be required by the Government immediately for more important duty. I wrote to you yesterday relative to detachments of the First Massachusetts Cavalry, a copy of which is herewith inclosed.

Everything quiet in this department. The health of the troops continues good for this climate; no epidemic.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. HUNTER,

Major-General, Commanding.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, D. C., September 11, 1862.

Major-General MITCHELL, New York:

(Care of George S. Coe, esq., president American Exchange Bank.)

Dispatches this moment received from Hilton Head render it of the utmost consequence that you should not lose a day in proceeding to your command. If there by no vessel about to start you will call on she assistant quartermaster-general for immediate transportation.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

HDQRS. U. S. FORCES ON THE SAVANNAH RIVER,
Fort Pulaski, Ga., September 15, 1862.

Captain LOUIS J. LAMBERT,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor herewith to transmit a letter addressed to the general commanding, which was brought from Savannah last evening by Lieutenant Hale, Forty-eighth New York Infantry Volunteers, who was the bearer of the flag of truce sent from this fort on Saturday.

Lieutenant Hale was stopped at the picket station near Fout-Mile Point, the officer in charge of which, as he had no other means of communicating with headquarters, sent him through the obstructions in the river, some 2 miles within the enemy'S lines, to a second picket, where he was detained for over twenty-four hours, entirely without food and almost without shelter, and even after permission was given Jackson and kept waiting two hours in a heavy rain. I also send a Savannah paper of the 13th instant.

The Planter takes this as far as Braddock's Point, and will there await the return of the courier.