HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,
March 2, 1865.

Colonel E. N. HALLOWELL,

Commanding Brigade:

COLONEL: The brigadier-general commanding directs that you send to-morrow on a train a force of 200 men to Summerville and return. The men will be kept together and under arms in Summerville. The officer in command will talk with some of the prominent citizens and endeavor to ascertain the sentiments of the people of the country. He will remain in the vicinity of the town a couple of hours, during which time he can detach scouting parties under commissioned officers to visit the neighborhood. The parties going out will be directed not to in anyway molest the citizens. The officer in command will be held responsible by you that no depredations are committed, not even a chicken can be taken. Serviceable horses may be pressed and sent in under charge of an officer should any be found, and a return of the same to these headquarters.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

LEONARD B. PERRY,

First Lieutenant, Fifty-fifth Mass. Vols., and Actg. Asst. Adjt. General

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,
Hilton Head, S. C., March 2, 1865.

Bvt. Major General C. GROVER,

Commanding District of Savannah, Department of the South:

GENERAL: The two brigades to be detached from your command, as directed in my letter of the 28th, are bound for Cape Fear River, N. C. They should be provided with five days' rations and a liberal outfit of medical supplies. No land transportation will be sent with them. As I have but one steam transport in this department fit to go to sea with troops, I am obliged to send these troops north in vessels of too much draft of water to ascend the Savannah River. Small transports will therefore be sent to convey these troops to Port Royal Harbor. The chief quartermaster of the department has been directed to furnish the necessary transportation.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Q. A. GILLMORE,

Major-General, Commanding.

CITY POINT, VA., March 3, 1865.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

Richmond papers of to-day are received, but contain no important news. The following items embrace all that is of any interest:

From Charleston. -The Fayetteville Telegraph of the 24 states that an officer who arrived here direct from South Carolina last night gives us some interesting items concerning the evacuation of Charleston. The evacuation took place on Friday night, and the city was occupied by about 500 Yankees, who landed in small boats about 12 o'clock on Saturday. All the cotton (some 6,000 bales) and the shipping was destroyed, and the guns spiked by the military authorities. The city is now but little more than a heap of ruins. When the Yankees entered nearly half of it was in ashes, and a terrible fire was still raging. The fire originated in two ways. A quantity of damaged powder had been left at the depot of the Northeastern