SECESSIONVILLE, April 17, 1863.

Captain NANCE, Assistant Adjutant-General:

After exchanging four shots found that the balls in the chests were too large for the Parrott guns, and one ball being jammed, I withdrew the guns. The enemy kept up a warm fire for some time, but hurt nobody.

The enemy are leaving Folly Island.

C. H. STEVENS,

Colonel, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPT. OF S. C., GA., AND FLA., Numbers 85.
Charleston, April 17, 1863.

I. Brigadier General W. H. T. Walker's command, except the regiment on Morris Island, will return without delay to District of Georgia. The quartermaster's department will furnish the necessary means of transportation.

* * * * * * *

By command of General Beauregard:

JNO. M. OTEY,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

RICHMOND, April 18, 1863.

General G. T. BEAUREGARD, Charleston, S. C.:

Your telegram of yesterday received. The Secretary desires that you retain Evans' brigade and substitute for it in North Carolina Cooke's brigade. He also desire that you retain for the present Clingman's brigade.

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

CHARLESTON, S. C., April 18, 1863.

Gov. FRANCIS W. PICKENS,

Edgewood, near Edgefield, S. C.:

DEAR GOVERNOR: I thank you for your kind invitation of the 14th instant, which I would be most happy to accept for myself and a few

friends if my occupations permitted, but, although much in need of rest, I shall take none until we shall have got through with whipping the Abolitionists and driving them off of the soil of the Confederacy. All that I ask for the present is that my health should hold out to the end of the struggle.

The injury to Fort Sumter has no doubt been much exaggerated to you. The east wall was pretty badly struck in two or three places, but the fort, will soon be as strong as ever-no doubt much more so and much sooner than the enemy's iron-clads can be repaired; his 15-inch and rifled 7-inch shells did about the same amount of injury. Upon the whole, I think the Abolitionists will come to the conclusion, if they have not already done so, that their monitors are great humbugs; more terrible in imagination than in reality. Forts McAllister and Sumter have