ready overburdened to supply the wants of the armies in the field. When the Russians burnt Moscow it was for the purpose of annihilating Napoleon's army of 300,000 or 400,000 men, which has invaded their country. When they again consented to the slow but certain destruction of Sebastopol it was to prevent the allies from taking possession of its immense docks, arsenals, military stores, and the fleet which had sought refuge under the guns of its forts. The possession of the harbor of Sebastopol would also have afforded them a magnificent base for their future operations in the Crimea. As I have already remarked, the river being extremely high, the streets of New Orleans could have been swept from one extremity to the other by the heavy guns of the enemy's fleet; or had Commodore Farragut preferred reducing the place to submission without using his guns it would have been only necessary submission without using his guns it would have been only necessary to have cut the levee above and below the city and the whole population would have been utterly defenseless and in a starving condition in a few days. Without the command of the Mississippi River New Orleans in not worth holding as a military or strategies point.

G. T. BEAUREGARD,

General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
CHARLESTON, May 15, 1863.

Numbers 194.

I. Brigadier General N. G. Evans' brigade will proceed immediately to Jackson, Miss., in accordance with the provisions of Special Ordes, Nos. 105 and 107, current series, from department headquarters.

* * * * * * *

By command of Brigadier-General Ripley:

B. H. READ,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[MAY 15, 1863.-For Beauregard to Johnston, in reference to summer campaign, see Series I, Vol. XXIII, Part II.]

Abstract from Return of Troops in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, commanded by General G. T. Beauregard, May 15, 1863.

Present for duty.

Command Troops. Total Total Total Aggrega Aggrega

ing effecti effecti effecti te te

officer ve ve ve present present

. infantr cavalry artille . and

y. . ry. absent.

Brigadi First 3,667 963 4,113 10,031 12,140

er Militar

General y

R. S. Distric

Ripley t of

South

Carolin

a.

Brigadi Second 1,841 867 295 3,316 3,670

er Militar

General y

J. Distric

Hagood t of

South

Carolin

a.

Brigadi Third 1,273 1,227 477 3,329 4,020

er Militar

General y

W. S. Distric

Walker t of

South

Carolin

a.

Brigadi Distric 1,919 1,879 2,466 7,281 8,440

er t of

General Georgia

H. W. .

Mercer

Brigadi Distric 788 452 280 1,701 2,128

er t of

General Middle

Howell Florida

Cobb

Brigadi Distric 222 441 140 916 1,240

er t of

General East

Joseph Florida

Finegan

Grand ....... 9,710 5,829 7,771 26,574 31,678

total

NOTE.-Heavy artillery included with light artillery in the First Military district of South Carolina and the District of Georgia.