CHARLESTON, March 14, 1863.

Brigadier General R. S. RIPLEY:

GENERAL: In compliance with your letter of this date, concerning the negro labor, I would respectfully state that numerous calls have been made, in the form requisitions, from this department, the substance of which is that 2,500 negroes were necessary, in monthly reliefs, to carry on the works, as follows:

The month of November a call was made for.............. 2,500

The month of December a call was made for.............. 2,500

The month of January a call was made for............... 2,500

The month of February a call was made for.............. 3,500

------

In all, for four months................................11,000

The number received in the same months was as follows:

No. Received. Discharged. Sick For Time.

and duty.

runa-

way.

101 November 7 November 24 15 86 17 days.

62 November 17 January 17 14 48 63 days.

100 November 1 November 24 20 80 24 days.

62 November 12 January 15 12 50 63 days.

278 November 21 January 17 60 218 56 days.

83 November 22 January 16 22 61 57 days.

210 November 22 January 15 46 164 55 days.

802 November 16 January 16 292 510 2 months.

583 December 1 February 2 196 387 2 months.

49 December 6 January 16 12 37 1 1/2

months.

104 December 20 March 12 50 54 2 months.

58 December 20 January 22 16 42 1 month.

93 January 4 Not 50 43 2 1/4

moths.

114 January 25 Not 5 109 1 2/3

months.

12 December 23 March 13 6 6 2 1/2

months.

65 December 18 March 13 10 55 3 months.

41 December 1 February 1 10 31 2 months.

16 December 18 March 11 7 9 2 3/4

months.

2,833 843 1,990

Average monthly labor for the four months, 755 for duty, labor of the sick excluded.

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

WM. H. ECHOLS.

GENERAL ORDERS, MARCH 14, 1863. Numbers 10.

Brigadier General J. H. Trapier hawing been assigned to duty in this military district he will assume command of sub-division Numbers 2, as announced in General Orders, Numbers 6, of 12th February, 1863, and is charged with a strict compliance of the provisions of that orders.

By command of Brigadier-General Ripley:

WM. F. NANCE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS THIRD MIL. DIST. Numbers 69.
Pocotaligo, March 15, 1863.

II. Lieutenant-Colonel Capers is assigned to the command of all troops between the Combahee and Ashepoo Rivers. In this command is included the heavy batteries at Combahee Ferry and on the Ashepoo.

* * * *

By order of Brigadier-General Walker, commanding:

JAMES LOWNDES,
Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.