enemy may advance upon me at this point. It would not do, I should think, to leave this position open. The destruction of the bridge would not detail the enemy long. I cannot depend upon the steamboat to take up my stores. She is loading at Boyd's Ferry and I cannot tell what she will be able to transport. I shall try to get my stores up by wagons, but it will take some days to do so. The road to Boyd's Ferry on this side is said to be exceedingly bad, impassable to wagons. The last rain has made it very much worse.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. B. GARNETT,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS DAVIS' BRIGADE,
Before Suffolk, Va., April 16, 1863.

Major GRAHAM DAVES,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

MAJOR: I respectfully request to know if my brigade belongs to the division commanded by Major-General French; and, if so, am I to continue to receive orders and instructions from an intermediate commander, or from the major-general commanding?

I am, major, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH R. DAVIS,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[Indorsement.]

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF SOUTHERN VIRGINIA,
April 17, 1863.

Respectfully forwarded to the lieutenant-general commanding.

I apprehend there is no difficulty in this question. While I regard this brigade, of course, a part of my command as well as General Jenkins' brigade, yet, as I must be absent much of my time, the division must be under command of the senior officer present.

S. G. FRENCH,

Major-General, Commanding.

SIGNAL OFFICE,

Richmond, A., April 16, 1863.

Major WILLIAM NORRIS, Chief Signal Corps:

SIR: Pursuant to your orders I left Richmond on the 8th instant and proceeded to Day's Neck, on the James, nearly opposite to the mouth of Warwick River, which place I reached on the 10th. On the 11th at night succeeded in crossing to Mallicote's house on the opposite shore, about 4 miles from Newport News. Obtained but little information that night, but delivered the letters instructed to me to a reliable person, who placed them in the Federal post-office at Fort Monroe. Attempted to cross on Sunday night, but owing to the intense darkness, and having no compass or glasses, got lost, and after many hours' hard labor at the oars found myself on the same side from which I started. Made another attempt the next night and ran over in full view of the blockading fleet, consisting of the Minnesota, an iron-clad of the Monitor model, and three or four small wooden gunboats. Obtained files of

63 R R-VOL XVIII