APRIL 9, 1862.- Evacuation of Jacksonville, Fla. by Union forces.

REPORTS.

Numbers 1. - Brigadier General Horatio G. Wright, U. S. Army, with orders, &c.

Numbers 2.- Secretary of War to the House of Representatives.

Numbers 3.- Colonel W. S. Dilworth, commanding District of Middle and East Florida.

Numbers 1. Report of Brigadier General Horatio G. Wright, U. S. Army, with orders, &c.

HEADQUARTERS STEAMER COSMOPOLITAN,
Port Royal Harbor, S. C., April 13, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report, for the information of the general commanding the Northern District, that, in obedience to the instructions contained in his letter of the 2nd instant [following], I have withdrawn the troops from Jacksonville, taking with me all the stores and other public property, and likewise removing property belonging to the enemy, consisting in part of two 8-inch columbiads, with chassis and carriages, and three field pieces, with their carriages. Some few captured articles, for which we had not room on the transports, were destroyed.

General Benham's letter was received by me on the 6th instant. On the 7th, preparations for withdrawing were begun by embarking the public stores, and on the 8th, at 12 m., the troops were marched on board, and the embarkation was completed by about 2 p. m. the same day. Owing to the heavy wind which had sprung up during the morning, it was impossible to get all the transports clear of the wharf until near sunset-too late to move safely very far down the intricate channel of the river that night-and it was therefore determined by the senior naval officer and myself to lay off the town until morning. This I was more willing to do as it took from our movement all appearance of al hasty retreat.

At 6 a. m. on the 9th the transports, convoyed by the gunboats Ottawa, Captain Thomas H. Stevens, senior naval officer; Pembina, Captain J. P. Bankhead, and the Ellen, Captain Budd, proceeded down the river, reaching Mayport, near the mouth, at about 2 p. m., but too late for passing over the bar, on account of the state of the tide. Here I took on board one company of the Fourth New Hampshire Regiment, which had been stationed at the batteries abandoned by the enemy, and as our means of transportation did not permit of our carrying off the guns, they were destroyed and their carriages and platforms burned, as were also the small buildings thereat.

At 3 p. m. on the 10th, the tide serving, the transports passed the bar, the steamer Belvedere proceeding to Saint Augustine and the Cosmopolitan to Fernandina. Stormy weather detained the steamers at Fernandina until this morning, which place we left at about 7.30 o'clock.

The troops in garrison at Jacksonville were the Ninety-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment, six companies of the Fourth New Hampshire Regiment, and two sections of Hamilton's battery, under the command of Captain Ransom. Under the general instructions of General Benham, I have disposed the force as follows: The Ninety-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment and Ransom's battery to Hilton Head, four companies of the Fourth New Hampshire Regiment, including the one at Saint John's