last flag that went up a few days ago was a boat from Washington in charge of an officer from that city. He was not aware, I presume, of the rule. I will give the necessary directions to the captain of the port here, who has the supervision of all vessels arriving or leaving.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN A. DIX,

Major-General.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA, SEVENTH ARMY CORPS,
Fort Monroe, Va., September 29, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK:

GENERAL: In my letter of the 27th instant I stated that permits to trade in Norfolk had been given to improper persons. Yesterday Mr. Noyes, the person I alluded to as having been turned out of the quartermaster's department for fraud a nd having been found with a large quantity of quinine in Norfolk sent to him surreptitiously, arrived here, with a permit from General Wadsworth to trade, with a very heavy invoice of merchandise - among other items 2,000 tons of coal. I am very happy to know that such a supply of necessaries is to go to Norfolk for the relief of the people, but I greatly regret that it is in such hands. At the same time the quartermaster has received for examination from Mr. Tucker, Assistant Secretary of War, a fraudulent claim against the Government from this same man.

There also arrived here yesterday a man named Ward with supplies for the Marine Corps, purchased by him on a permit from the Secretary of the Navy. He refused to take the oath of allegiance, and I stopped the goods. I sent him with the assistant provost-marshal to General Viele, who reports as follows:

"This man Ward is a rebel scoundrel, who was imposed upon the provost-marshal by Captain McCawley (Marines), who is certainly very much in fault in the matter. The man's antecedents are bad. He has made a fortune in contracts for the insurgents. I think a man named Kirby, a renegade Englishman, is the agent in the matter."

If there had been a proper system of supervision here in regard to permits to trade these cases would not have occurred.

I think this will show the importance of trusting the matter of granting permits to the commander of the military department or of having a special agent of the War or Treasury Departments here. In that case Captain James Millward, jr., the captain of the port here, would be a proper person, and his duties would be performed under by supervision. He keeps an account of all supplies received for the inhabitants around here, and is thus able to tell at any moment what any family needs. The same system through subordinates might be extended to Norfolk.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN. A. DIX,

Major-General.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA, SEVENTH ARMY CORPS,
Fort Monroe, Va., September 29, 1862.

Actg. Rear-Admiral S. P. LEE,

Commanding North Atlantic Blockading Squadron:

ADMIRAL: We had advices yesterday from the Blackwater. The enemy have not crossed, nor can I ascertain that they have been re