CHARLESTON, S. C., May 26, 1863.

Major W. H. ECHOLS, Chief of Engineers, South Carolina:

MAJOR: I have the honor to report the cause of the slow progress of the road or footway from James Island across the marsh to Morris Island:

1st. Want of hands. I have not been able to keep a force of white hands on the work on account of the mud, and have not been able to hire negroes enough to keep al parts going on at once.

2nd. Want of material. Notwithstanding the limited number of hands I have been out of material until yesterday for most of last week, although the boat (Hibben) was loaded with it last Tuesday, the 19th.

I have now quite a lot of material on hand, and hope to make better progress this week. I have a force of soldiers on the Morris Island end. The road is intended for infantry only, and is made 6 feet wide and 4 feet above the highest part of marsh (except the bridges over the creeks, which are 12 feet wide and sufficient to bear up artillery), and will be, when finished, quite sufficient for the passage of infantry, and will be permanent as long as the material of which it is made lasts. In regard to the rope ferries between Fort Johnson and Battery Wagner, I have the honor to report that they were all finished and furnished with boats capable of taking over 50 men at a time. Over Light-House Creek, where it is necessary for steamboats to pass going to Secessionville, the rope was provided with a weight to sink it an allow the passage of a boat and with a couple of blocks to raise it out of the water after the boat had passed, but the boats neglecting to lower it, ran against ad broke it; it was repaired and broken a second time and has not since been repaired. The one over the creek nearest Fort Johnson has been broken several times by the steam pile-driver used as a transport to carry hands to and from the work on Marsh Battery, and has not been repaired since last broken.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN HOWARD,

Captain and Engineer in Charge.

CHARLESON, June 5, 1863.

Major D. B. HARRIS, Engineer-in-Chief, &c.:

MAJOR: I beg leave respectfully to report that the various works on Morris Island were progressing in accordance with your instructions as rapidly as the labor at command and the insufficient supply of material would allow till about the 28th May. About the date I was verbally informed by Colonel Graham, commanding Morris Island, that the fatigue detail from his regiment was ordered to report for duty to Captain Mitchell, commanding company First Regiment South Carolina Artillery. As this detail constituted the only force at my disposal for the prosecution of the works at the south point their execution under my direction was necessarily suspended. Captain Mitchel in the mean time is carrying on, with that force and a detail from his own command, and I am informed under direct instructions from Brigadier-General Ripley, works nearly identical with those ordered by the engineer department. My carpenters, thus thrown out of employ, have been turned over to Captain Howard, on James Island. Ten hire laborers (all now at my disposal) are engaged in completing a small but important unfinished portion of Battery Wagner.

Respectfully,

LANGDON CHEVES,

Engineer, in charge Morris Island.