to inclose his report herewith.* I received this morning a letter of importance from Captain Pearson, and send you a copy of the same herewith by Lieutenant Pearson. I had many representations made to me within the last twenty-four hours showing that the country bordering the Saint John's River is infested by numerous and dangerous traitors, and that a bad state of things existed there. These representations are fully confirmed by Captain Pearson's letter, as you will see.

Your Excellency having required of me to inform you at any moment of any section in which it would be proper to have martial law proclaimed and rigidly enforced, I now unhesitatingly have the honor to report to you that it is necessary that it should go into immediate effect in the following counties: Nassau County, Duval County, Clay County, Putnam County, Saint John's County, and Volusia County. That martial law should be ordered in these counties appears to be a measure of absolute necessity, as they contain a nest of traitors and lawless negroes. Should Your Excellency adopt this measure, I will send a force in those counties, together with Captain Pearson's company, sufficient to enforce it. As soon as I hear from you I will carry out your orders with the utmost promptitude. Thus far treason has boldly appeared in our midst with impunity; the hour to deal with it summarily has arrived. I write to the adjutant-general to-day.

I have the honor to be, Your Excellency's very obedient servant,

R. F. FLOYD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding State Troops.

[Inclosure.]

CAMP McCARTY,

On Ochalwaha river, April 8, 1862.

General RICHARD F. FLOYD,

Lake City, Fla.:

DEAR SIR: I now have the honor to report to you the result of five days' scout, the hardest kind of service, in obedience to your orders conveyed through Colonel Dancy to attack the Federeals on Dunn's Lake. I marched my company (leaving a small detachment to serve camp, &c.) a circuitous route through the woods to Rie Creek and crossed them over the Saint John's in the night in small detachments to prevent the enemy knowing anything of our whereabouts. When we arrived at the river we learned thatt they, the enemy, had not gone to Dunn's Lake, nor do I believe they intend going there again, but I learned that they were coming to Orange Mills Saturday or Sunday to burn Doctor May's property, and I repaired to that point immediately to see them make the attempt; and, sure eneough, on Saturday evening the largest and best gun-boat they had on the Saint John's came up and anchored about two miles and a half below Cole's Mills, and about 11 to 12 o'clock I crossed the balance of my men over to Simkin's houses; there spent the balance of the night in arranging for fight in the morning, having but little doubt but we would get one, as they had on a former occasion asked where the troops were, saying they understood there were some 200 somewhere in the woods, and they, the Federals, had a few rotten pumpkins they wished to throw at them. Now, what do you think when I tell you that we offered them fight all day long on Sunday and they declined? We lay under or in reach of their shells all day; they knew we were there, but did not know the preccise spot. After lying there all day we could get nothing from

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*Not found as an inclosure.

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