QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Brig. Gen. Q. A. GILLMORE, Commanding Department of the South: GENERAL: By a statement prepared in this office there appears to have been employed by the quartermaster's department in the Department of the South, during the month of November, 1863 : Steamers with an aggregate tonnage of... Total.... The number of troops in the Department of the South, I am informed at headquarters, was in November, 1863, 37,542, being about eleven-nineteenths ton to a man. This appears to be more than can be necessary for the ordinary transportation of such a force. Cannot this immense expenditure be reduced with safety? The Government suffers under this drain. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Colonel ABBOTT, M. C. MEIGS, Quartermaster-General. JACKSONVILLE, FLA., February 9, 1864. Seventh New Hampshire Volunteers: COLONEL The major-general commanding directs that you proceed at once with your regiment and report to Brig. Gen. T. Seymour. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. M. BURGER, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. ON BOARD STEAMER BEN DE FORD, Rear-Admiral J. A. DAHLGREN, Comdg. S. Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Saint John's River: ADMIRAL: I received, some miles from here, your letter stating that you intended to leave this locality, and that three gun-boats would remain in the Saint John's. That force is ample. The enemy will not make any resistance in East Florida for the present. They are panic-stricken. My advance will be 50 miles from this place to-night. We have taken eight good field pieces well supplied with ammunition, a number of cars, a large quantity of cotton, and other valuable property. I am very busy, or I would come and see you. I shall return to Hilton Head Saturday next. Please accept my thanks for prompt co-operation afforded me, and believe me, your obedient servant, Q. A. GILLMORE, 11. By direction of the President of the United States Maj. John Hay, assistant adjutant-general, is authorized to receive the signatures of loyal citizens to the oath of allegiance of December 8, 1863, at Key West, Tortugas, and at such other places in the State of Florida, and embraced within the limits of the Department of the Gulf, as he may think proper, and he is further authorized to issue to all persons who may sign the said oath the certificates intrusted to him by the President. The commanding officers concerned will give him all necessary and proper aid and assistance, so far as lies in their power. GENERAL: I expect a locomotive to-morrow, which will probably be in working order by next Sunday. You need be under no apprehensions about provisions. I shall use three or four companies of Colonel Montgomery's (Second South Carolina) regiment as scouts up the river for two or three days. You will push forward as far as you can toward the Suwannee River. Three companies of engineers have been ordered to Baldwin, where Lieutenant Michie will commence some defensive works at once. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Maj. JAMES E. PLACE: Q. A. GILLMORE, Major-General, Commanding. JACKSONVILLE, FLA., February 10, 1864. The major-general commanding directs that you send at once two companies from your command to Baldwin, under command of Capt. Joseph Walker, to report to Brig. Gen. T. Seymour, at or near that place. Take camp and garrison equipage. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. T. SEYMOUR, W. L. M. BURGER, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. JACKSONVILLE, FLA., February 10, 1864. Commanding U. S. Advance Forces, Baldwin, Fla.: GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs me to say that your dispatches to himself and also to Colonel Hallowell have been received and carried into effect. Four companies have been ordered to Camp Finegan, and the Eighth U. S. Colored Regiment has been ordered to take post at TenMile Station (Pickett's house). The orderly bearing this has orders to start from here to-morrow at daybreak. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. M. BURGER, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, Capt. JOHN HAMILTON, Light Battery E, Third U. S. Artillery: CAPTAIN: I am directed by the brigadier-general commanding to request that you will embark two sections of your battery upon the steam-boat Boston, now at Pawnee Landing, and proceed without delay to Jacksonville, Fla., reporting at that place to Brig. Gen. T. Seymour, as directed by paragraph XII of Special Orders, No. 45, current series, from headquarters Department of the South. The remaining section will follow as soon as transportation arrives. I have the honor to be, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, ADRIAN TERRY, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. JACKSONVILLE, FLA., February 11, 1864. Col. JAMES MONTGOMERY, Commanding Colored Brigade: COLONEL: The major-general commanding directs that you send the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers at once to Baldwin, with two days' rations, except two companies to be stationed at Jacksonville under command of Col. E. N. Hallowell, post commander. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. M. BURGER, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. JACKSONVILLE, FLA., February 11, 1864. Col. JAMES MONTGOMERY, Second South Carolina Volunteers: COLONEL: You will take three companies of your regiment and proceed forthwith to Doctor's Lake or Green Cove, two crossing places on the west bank of Saint John's River, or some point in that vicinity, where rebel pickets are said to be posted, which you will endeavor to capture. Failing or succeeding in this, you will at once return, or, remaining there, send information in relation to your movements to these headquarters. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Q. A. GILLMORE, Major-General, Commanding. U. S. FLAG-SHIP PAWNEE, Saint John's River, Fla., February 12, 1864. Maj. Gen. Q. A. GILLMORE, Comdg. Dept. of the South, Jacksonville, Fla.: GENERAL: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your communication* of the 10th instant, and assure you that I had no intention of causing you the least surprise, for the case seemed to me too plain to admit of question, supposing, of course, that I was rightly informed. The premises which have controlled your views differ widely, however, from the report made to me, a copy of which is inclosed herewith. It is a plain narrative and from it you will perceive : First. That a gun-boat reached the town before the troops landed there on Sunday, the 7th, and proceeded to the creek above on the evening of the same day, in pursuance of orders of the 6th, to prevent the escape of the Saint Mary's therefrom, at which time no troops had left Jacksonville, except a few cavalry to keep off the pickets that had been driven out. Second. It is stated that the Saint Mary's, on hearing of the arrival of the troops, was preparing to leave the creek and escape up the Saint John's, but finding that she was blockaded by the Norwich returned. Third. I believe also that the troops did not advance in force before Monday, the 9th, and have not yet been within 3 miles of Cedar Creek. Of this I am not positively informed; you are. It is evident from the locality and the circumstances that no movement into the interior by your troops could have effected the capture of the Saint Mary's by the army, or caused the rebels to destroy her. She could not by any possibility, therefore, be your prize, whereas one gun-boat did actually prevent her escape, and with the other gun-boats would have captured or destroyed her, even if you had not sent a man into the interior. While, therefore, I wish not to be understood as undervaluing the due effect of the result produced by your landing troops in Jacksonville, I do believe that the operations by water were much more material to our possession of the Saint Mary's. I will insist on whatever may be due to the navy, but there is not the least disposition with me to detract from the army. In my view the Saint Mary's is a capture of the joint operation, and as there is both a propriety and convenience in assigning to each branch such property of the rebels, for public use, as may fall into our hands, according to the nature of such property and its obvious uses, no rule could be more conducive to the public interest than to let the navy have whatever may belong to the water and the army whatever may belong ashore. For these reasons I claim the Saint Mary's, and hope you will concur with me in the above views. At the same time, if you do not, permit me to suggest that it would be advisable to raise the vessel before raising any question as to her use by the navy or army. Finally, if we are unable to concur as to the disposition of the Saint Mary's, a reference to higher authorities should only be made after having agreed on the facts. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, *Not found. CHAP Ma [Inclosure.] by t tur fast pos side U. S. STEAMER NORWICH, Comdg. South Atlantic Blockading Squadron: SIR: In obedience to your order I have the honor to make the following report: While getting under way on the morning of the 6th instant, at 5.40, a steamer was reported in sight to the northward. At 5.45 she came up, and upon being hailed, reported as the army steamer Island City, with Major Brooks, of General Gillmore's staff, on board, from Fernandina, bound to Saint John's in a hurry. I told the captain to follow me in. At 5.50 got under way, stood to the southward to bring the ranges on, and at 6.20 crossed the bar. At 7.05 anchored in the Saint John's River, off Mayport. The Island City anchored a few minutes sooner. After breakfast I visited the Ottawa, and then first learned of an expedition to arrive that day for the purpose of taking Jacksonville, &c. In company with Captain Breese I met Major Brooks on shore. Captain Breese proposed that pickets should be stationed so as to prevent news of the expedition being carried inland by the people on shore. At 9.30, by order of Captain Breese, an officer and 2 men, armed, were sent on shore from this ship to do picket duty on the Mayport side of the river. Captain Breese proposed to send the Norwich up the river at once to blockade the Saint Mary's, in McGirt's Creek, should she attempt to escape up the river. Major Brooks opposed such a movement, as he thought it might interfere with the plans of the general. Major Brooks hired 4 men, refugees, to go inland on Saturday night to cut the telegraph wire and burn a railroad bridge. He asked for arms, rations, and a quantity of spirits of turpentine, which were furnished by the Ottawa and Norwich. At 6.30 the Island City, with the 4 men on board and a canoe in tow, proceeded up the river to Trout Creek. At 6.45 sent a picket-boat up the river as usual. At 9.15 the Island City came down the river and anchored. At daylight on the morning of the 7th, two vessels were seen off the bar. At 6.20 the Ottawa made signals to this ship to send pilots outside; executed at once. Between 7.30 and 8 o'clock three transports came in and anchored. At 8.50 the Maple Leaf, with a general on board, came in and anchored. At about 9.15 I visited the Ottawa and met General Seymour on board that vessel. It was arranged that the Norwich should proceed up the river some distance ahead of the transports. My orders were as follows, given verbally by Captain Breese: Furnish the Maple Leaf with a pilot; then get under way; proceed up the river to Mr. Palmer's place; communicate with Mr. Palmer and learn from him what force is in Jacksonville. If a force has been thrown into town to oppose the landing inform the general. After a landing should be effected by our troops proceed up the river and anchor off the mouth of McGirt's Creek to prevent the Saint Mary's from escaping up the river. At 10.10 got under way and proceeded up the river. When about 6 miles up the river saw the transports under way coming up. At 2.05 p. m. stopped off Mr. Palmer's place and communicated with Mr. Palmer. Learned from him that only 20 men were in town and that the expedition was not expected. At 2.45 started ahead. At 3.05 went to quarters. At 3.20 arrived off the town, the |