whenever these outrages shall be committed by persons secreted near houses or on plantations the premises in question shall be at once laid waste and destroyed.

By order of Colonel Edward E. Potter, commanding post:

J. W. ATWILL,

Acting Adjutant.

UNITED STATES FLAG-SHIP MINNESOTA,

Off Newport News, October 11, 1862.

Major General JOHN A. DIX,

Commanding Seventh Army Corps, Fortress Monroe:

GENERAL: I am just informed by Lieutenant-Commander Babcock, U. S. Navy, commanding the gunboat Morse on guard duty at Norfolk, that yesterday he detained the schooner Chesapeake, going into Norfolk for repairs, under a "permit" signed by "James Millward, Captain Port and Harbor-Master, Fortress Monroe, Va." and by your command.

I respectfully suggest to you that this vessel was not going in with army supplies, and, as she is not known to be in distress, that it would be better, rather than have her pass the blockade, that she should be sent to Baltimore for any convenient repairs she may need. I will direct Lieutenant-Commander Babcock to return her papers and send her to you.

The boarding officers understood that, according to the arrangement between you and myself, the necessary certificates to pass vessels were to come from your headquarters and to be signed by Captain Blake, your assistant adjutant-general. Lieutenant-Commander Babcock had not, I presume, heard of the other officer or office above mentioned.

Allow me further to suggest, in connection with the matter of repairing outside vessels at Norfolk, that, owing to the difficulty of getting hands there to repair the gunboat Barney I was obliged to send her to her station unfinished after a fortnight's detention, and this notwithstanding that the United States quartermaster at Norfolk, Captain Ludlow, has always been very obliging, [tendering] us the facilities for repairs at the ship-yards in Norfolk, which are all under his control. As there are non facilities for repairing the United States gunboats at the Gosport Navy-Yard, owing to the destruction by the enemy of the work-shops, I beg that the facilities for repairs at the ship-yards under army control at Norfolk may be reserved as far as practicable for the use of the Navy.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, yours,

S. P. LEE,

Actg. Rear-Admiral, Commanding N. Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

UNITED STATES FLAG-SHIP MINNESOTA,

Off Newport News, Va., October 11, 1862.

Major General JOHN A. DIX,

Commanding Seventh Army Corps, Fortress Monroe:

GENERAL: Lieutenant-Commander Babcock, of the gunboat Morse, on duty at Norfolk, reports that the master of the Pioneer, mail-boat between Fortress Monroe and Norfolk, says that he has been in the habit for some time, by your permission, of carrying merchandise in considerable quantities between the two places, and, as I understand, for purposes of traffic. The same officer reports to me that he is informed that