HDQRS. DEPT. OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA,
Pocotaligo, April 15, 1862.

Brigadier General N. G. EVANS,

Commanding Third Military District:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your official communication in relation to the concentration of the troops of your command, and in answer am instructed to inform you that you will make such a disposition of your force as to enable you to concentrate as suggested in my last letter to you, dated April 11, 1862.

I am, &c.,

J. R. WADDY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

STATE OF FLORIDA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Tallahassee, April 15, 1862.

Honorable GEORGE W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War:

SIR: Yours of the-instant relative to the removal of the iron from the Florida Railroad, leading from Fernandina to Cedar Keys, was duly received, and on the 13th I inclosed to you copies of all the correspondence in this Department on the subject.

When the order given by General Trapier was resisted, the order, a copy of which you have, was issued to General Floyd, besides which he had a letter of instruction.

Much was left to the discretion of General Floyd, because I know him to be an officer of good judgment, having no connection with any of the various party cliques in the State. and a brave and Honorable man, who commanded the confidence of soldiers and citizens.

In East Florida the citizens have been much divided by local interests, which has produced evil results, and General Floyd is the only gentleman residing in that part of the State known to me to command the respect of all parties.

The enemy have evacuated Jacksonsville, but command the river with their gunboats; Jacksonsville being liable to attack, and without any guns in battery for its defense. From the information received I have no doubt they retired from apprehension of reports of a large guerrilla force being near them.

I received a letter from General Lee, dated Richmond, 13th of March, in which he remarked: "I would suggest to Your Excellency the importance of calling every available man in Florida into the field." The suggestion was highly appreciated, but I knew it to be with much difficulty and at great expense the forces already in Confederate service in the State and those who were at camps of instruction mustered in for the war were bring subsisted, and complaint is made to me frequently that the soldiers suffer from hunger, and under such circumstances I thought it advisable, with all due respect to General Lee's suggestion, simply to issue an order to the militia of the State to be held in readiness to be assembled upon days' notice to take up the line of march wherever and whenever their services might be necessary, and to organize a few companies of rangers or guerrillas to confine the enemy to their boats. Will the Government authorize defense of the State by companies so organized, subject to special orders and to the command of competent officers?

From various causes beyond control, some of which had been made