I will communicate with you again by this afternoon's courier or in the morning.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. BENHAM,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES,
Savannah River, April 4, 1862.

General H. W. BENHAM,

Commanding First Division, Department of the South:

GENERAL: In my communication of yesterday I referred to the time it would take to put guns on Turtle Island, which, on account of the peculiar topography of that island, would be attended with delay and difficulty. But the guns on Long Island can be put in position at once. I have one 8-inch and one 10-inch mortar which I can use. The rebels were busy all night last night moving troops towards Wilmington Island. They have evidently something on the tapes.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EGBERT L. VIELE,

Commanding General.

HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,
Hilton Head, S. C., April 5, 1862.

Flag-Officer S. F. DUPONT,

Commanding South Atlantic Blockading Squadron,

Port Royal Harbor, S. C.;

COMMODORE: I trust your dispatches for Warsaw have arrived in time to go by my courier, whom I have sent to recall, if possible, it not, I will have them at Tybee this afternoon, and if my engineers can contrive a means of obstructing Wilmington River, I will have it done, though I much fear now the force of the enemy, believed to have been increased lately in that vicinity, may render this more difficult than at a previous day, if not impossible even.

The reports from General Viele from Daufuskie last night lead us to fear that the rebels are concentrating troops near Wilmington Island, probably for an effort to relieve or re-enforce the garrison of Fort Pulaski, as it appears impossible for a land force to act efficiently in those marshes, and we have scarcely any means for effective action by water. General Hunter and myself were last evening most earnest in wishing that you had the means of increasing your own power to an important extent just now on the Wilmington Narrows and on the Tybee River.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. BENHAM, A

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,

Hilton Head, S. C., April 8, 1862

Colonel ENOCH Q. FELLOWS,

Commanding U. S. Forces, Edisto Island, S. C.:

COLONEL: The general commanding desires that you would take every opportunity that offers, either by negroes who come from the