rifle, two 8-inch siege howitzers, four 24-pounder howitzers (brass), one 42-pounder carronade, one 32-pounder carronade, two 18-pounder siege guns (smooth-bores), two 8-inch siege mortars, and that two 8-inch sea-coast howitzers and one 8-inch naval gun are expected

soon.

The following disposition will be made of the above guns, unless good reasons should be found for modifying the plan on account of the arrival of cannon not expected at present :*

First. Redoubt Sammon, one 8-inch sea-coast howitzer, one 8-inch siege howitzer, one 24-pounder James, one 8-inch mortar.

Second. Battery Myrick, to be occupied by field guns, as occasion may require.

Third. Redoubt Fribley, one 8-inch naval gun, one 8-inch siege howitzer, two 30-pounder Parrotts, one 8-inch mortar.

Fourth. Battery McCrea now has two 6-pounder field (brass), to be vacated soon.

Fifth. Redoubt Reed, one 8-inch sea-coast howitzer, one 42-pounder carronade, one 30-pounder Parrott, and one mortar, if it comes. Sixth. Redoubt Moore.

Seventh. Battery Hamilton by field guns, as No. 2 and No. 4. The four 24-pounder howitzers and two 20-pounder Parrotts, with the three 3-inch captured rifles, to be parked as a reserve.

Redoubt Moore has not yet been commenced, and upon examination to-day, after the ground has been well cleared of trees, it seems unnecessary to place one there (at the cemetery). The ground across the creek (Hogan's) is perfectly commanded by the fire from Redoubt Reed. Until the major-general commanding can inspect and decide upon this I have decided that the ground be not disturbed. The cutting of timber proceeds as rapidly as the want of axes will allow, and the country across the creek is now well opened. At Palatka has been constructed a central redoubt (No. 2), and at Nos. 1 and 3 are positions for one or two field guns.

*

The only artillery now there is two 3-inch rifles and two 12pounder howitzers of Captain James' battery.

It is probable that the redoubt will be armed with the two 18pounders and one 32-pounder carronade now here, and probably (if an arrangement to be suggested should fail) that the two captured 6-pounders now here will be sent there, and such means supplied as will compel no portion of a mounted battery to be kept there. The works are probably nearly ready for these guns.

The arrangement referred to is that there be sent here any old iron guns (field) that may be useless elsewhere. I believe that there are several such at Hilton Head. If I am not mistaken there are several at Saint Augustine, quite useless there, that may well be brought here, and that are good for canister to any extent. I propose to go to Saint Augustine soon to procure such guns. One or two are much wanted at Yellow Bluff, one or two at Palatka, others here. They are as good for these purposes as brass guns of later date.

The work at Yellow Bluff is complete. A signal tower there is nearly finished, and is already occupied by a party (to-day), and a station is established at the mouth of the Saint John's. It will be necessary to construct a tower here. These communications will be of great service.

* Small diagrams omitted.

When the three 8-inch shell guns and another 8-inch siege mortar shall have arrived, no more guns will be required, except as above referred to, and these, perhaps, can be procured at Saint Augustine, as indicated.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. SEYMOUR, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

WASHINGTON, March 16, 1864-12.30 p. m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

Nashville, Tenn.:

The furloughs of veteran regiments from the Department of the South (Hilton Head) are about to expire. If it is proposed to bring any troops North from that department for the coming campaign, should not these regiments be retained, in order to avoid double transportation ?

H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Staff.

NASHVILLE, TENN., March 16, 1864-7 p. m.
(Received 10.40 p. m.)

Major-General HALLECK,

Chief of Staff:

To avoid double transportation I desire the veteran regiments from the Department of the South rendezvoused at some point from whence they can be moved with facility, either to the Army of the Potomac or to Hilton Head, as may be required.

Maj. Gen. Q. A. GILLMORE,

U. S. GRANT.
Lieutenant-General.

WASHINGTON, D. C., March 16, 1864.

Department of the South:

GENERAL: Your dispatches of the 10th, transmitting your statement of the Olustee affair in Florida,* is just received. The statement will be immediately copied and submitted to the Secretary of War, to accompany the papers called for by the Committee on the Conduct of the War.

Until Lieutenant-General Grant returns from the West I presume no additional instructions will be given by the War Department in regard to military operations in your department.

In regard to your suggestion that General Turner, of your staff, bearer of dispatches, will enter more fully into the merits of your plans, I beg leave to remark that the War Department disapproves the sending of staff officers to Washington to discuss or explain plans of generals in the field. In the first place, verbal explanations by subordinates are liable to be misunderstood, and subsequently to give rise to questions of facts and conflicts of memories. A ver*See Part I, p. 276.

bal message or statement transmitted through three or four different persons is very likely, with the best motives of all concerned, to have a very different aspect when it reaches the Secretary of War or the President than it had when first uttered.

In the second place, plans of operations should [not], as a general rule, be divulged to subordinates. I do not mean that opinions of subordinates should not be consulted, but the final determination of the general should be known to as few persons as possible.

Moreover, the Secretary of War very strongly disapproves of the practice of sending staff officers to Washington for the purpose of delivering dispatches which could be as well sent by mail. He regards it as an abuse of authority on the part of generals, and as entailing an unnecessary expense on the Government. In several instances he has ordered back the officers and charged the expense of their transportation to the generals who sent them here. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Staff.

HDQRS. DISTRICT OF FLORIDA, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,
Jacksonville, Fla., March 16, 1864.

Capt. G. B. BALCH, U. S. Navy,

Commanding Naval Forces, Saint John's River:

CAPTAIN: I am happy to announce to you that the Columbine captured, on the 13th instant, in Lake George, the steamer Sumter with all her officers and crew; that the Sumter has been manned and sent after the Hattie Brock, which it is believed will also be captured, with about 150 bales of cotton.

This information is received this morning from Colonel Barton, and will give you no greater pleasure than it has given myself. The difficulties that have been overcome by the Columbine are represented as having been great, and its commander deserves much credit for the exercise of great intelligence and energy in having overcome them. I trust these qualities will be rewarded to a still greater extent by still greater success.

Those small steamers will be of the greatest value to us in navigating the river, and for scouting in regions where vessels of heavier draught could not penetrate. If possible, I shall therefore be glad to have them for these purposes.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. SEYMOUR, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. DISTRICT OF FLORIDA, Dept. of THE SOUTH,
Jacksonville, Fla., March 16, 1864.

Col. W. B. BARTON,

Forty-eighth New York, Comdg., Palatka, Fla. :

COLONEL: The quartermaster is directed to send you 50 horses, saddles, and bridles, without delay. You will select and mount an infantry company temporarily, being careful to select a good captain, who will see that the best use possible is made of these animals,

than which no better are now at my disposal. You will appoint an officer to receipt for the ordnance that is sent to you. Lieutenant Michie, U. S. Engineers, will inform you as to the destination of the cannon. Two 18-pounders, two 6-pounders (brass), and two 3-inch rifles are forwarded. Captain James' guns will be left in reserve, and as 2 horses can draw these small guns a short distance, Captain James may be charged with the conduct of the two rifles (3inch) as a part of the reserve artillery. The rifle-pits running through the oak wood will be enlarged so that the ditch will be a decided obstacle, which stockade will be placed at Mr. Michie's direction. A line of abatis from the river to the cleared ground, through this wood, will be constructed, say 200 yards in advance of the ditch, and this abatis will be made as strong as possible. Some of the trees near the works (and in rear) will be arranged so that sharpshooters can occupy them; a plank with slats nailed to it so as to ascend the tree. The wood will be spared the ax at present. The palmettoes can probably be burned; if so, put a regiment out to effect it. Place all the obstacles in front of your works that you can, particularly on the left.

The Ottawa goes up to-day; as she cannot get over the flats without assistance, you will send the Hunter to assist her at the earliest moment. Send the Hunter back the night following her arrival.

I am doubtful about your sending to Silver Springs; it is some distance beyond Orange Springs, on the road to Gainesville. Any cavalry that you send there will probably be lost, and you will undertake nothing that does not give every prospect of success. As your information is much better than mine, the matter is left to your own discretion. Endeavor to get reliable persons to penetrate (to be gone several days) to Gainesville, &c. A good negro guide, with a good white soldier, seems the best method. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. SEYMOUR, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. DISTRICT OF FLORIDA, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,
Jacksonville, Fla., March 17, 1864.

Brigadier-General TURNER,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit to the major-general commanding the suggestion that during April and May operations can go on in Florida with perfect comfort to the command, after which extreme hot weather will probably preclude all offensive movements.

Charleston, the Confederates now well understand, cannot be seriously approached with any force in this department; the same is doubtless true of Savannah. At both those points neither offensive nor defensive operations will be of much moment.

In Florida the enemy has concentrated all troops that can be spared from the above points. Attention can be distracted to other places, and by the use, for a week or so, of all the troops that can be spared elsewhere, the opposing forces here should be overcome. such a result can be obtained, its importance cannot be overrated. To vanquish such roops as are in the field is the final military aim

If

of our cause, and there have previously been no such opportunities for the armed force of the Department of the South to be well employed as in Florida. And now that the State is to be considered an object worth holding or attaining, these opportunities may well be improved. These considerations have doubtless already occurred to the major-general commanding, but there can be no impropriety in stating them in this manner.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. SEYMOUR, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. DISTRICT OF FLORIDA, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,
Jacksonville, Fla., March 17, 1864.

Brigadier-General TURNER,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: It is reported to me this morning by Major Stevens, commanding mounted force, that a sergeant and 1 private of the Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry, and a negro (Jerome), not an enlisted man, who were sent out on the 14th as scouts, have been captured by the enemy, whose very largely preponderating force of cavalry makes any such mode of obtaining information very uncertain. Respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

T. SEYMOUR, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS, WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, March 18, 1864.

16. Veteran regiments and companies from the Department of the South now in or to arrive in their respective States on furlough wili, on the expiration thereof, be ordered by the superintendents of the volunteer recruiting service for the States concerned to Washington, D. C., reporting to Major-General Casey, U. S. Volunteers, who will command them.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,
Hilton Head, S. C., March 19, 1864.

Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C. :

GENERAL: In response to your letter of the 26th ultimo,* to which I partially replied in mine of the 10th instant, I have to say that from 7,000 to 11,000 effective fighting men may be spared from this department and still leave it in a condition of safe quiescent defense.

*See Part I, p. 493.