until further examination can be made; three guns to be mounted on Pontchartrain Railroad; two or three on Bayou Saint John.

The road leading to Hickox can, I think, be sufficiently protected by light artillery.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. W. SHERMAN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS,
Plaquemine, January 27, 1863.

RICHARD B. IRWIN,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Assistant Adjutant-General:

SIR: I am requested by the major-general commanding at Baton Rouge to communicate to you any information that I may possess with regard to the enemy in this vicinity.

General Sibley is in command on Grosse Tete. He has at least 650 cavalry and some infantry. I have heard different reports, all uniting in saying at least five pieces of artillery. From here to Indian Village it is a distance of 10 miles and a good road. Indian Village is the only place to cross the Bayou Plaquemine from Grosse Tete. There is a road from Indian Village to Bayou Goula, but is not fit for artillery to pass over, and the only way to go to Donaldsonville is by Plaquemine. This I hear from the cavalry that is stationed here.

There is no way of reaching Grosse Tete excepting through Indian Village or West Baton Rouge. Woods swampy and the water is quite high. I have a deserter here from Grosse Tete, whom I shall send to Major-General Augur. Three Frenchmen came from Grosse Tete to-day and from Opelousas originally; say they (the enemy) are impressing every one, both citizens and foreigners, between the ages of seventeen and fifty into the Army. I am very well guarded against surprise; cavalry vedettes 1 3/4 miles from town.

I have had several flying reports of their attacking us. All agree in placing the troops of the enemy as high as 3,000.

One of the gunboats has been ordered away to protect Donaldsonville. If the enemy come from Grosse Tete they must, I think, pass Plaquemine.

General Sibley's command has been divided; part of it in Opelousas County, but all say that they could be brought together very quickly.

It is very difficult to obtain correct information from Grosse Tete, as the enemy's pickets are at Indian Village.

From your obedient servant,

SAM. JOHN STORRS,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Post.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO,
Santa Fe, N. Mex., January 27, 1863.

His Excellency WILLIAM F. M. ARNY,

Acting Governor of New Mexico:

SIR: I have the honor to state to you that since last summer the portion of this Territory known as Arizona, and also all of that portion below the Jornada del Muerto called the Mesilla Valley, has been under