Battery Tracy or Huger, or both of them. In this we shall need the assistance of the navy, if it can be spared, in boats and in sailors to man them. I wish to send about 200 volunteers from the army, and we shall need eight or ten boats in addition to those we have, and fifty or sixty sailors to row them. Will you please advise me at your earliest convenience whether you can give us this assistance.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. R. S. CANBY,

Major-General, Commanding.

WEST GULF SQUADRON, U. S. FLAG-SHIP STOCKADE,

Off Blakely River, [April 4,] 1865.

Major-General CANBY:

SIR: I shall be happy to aid you in any way in my power in sending you boats to land your men at Forts Tracy and Huger. To send sixty men in these boats to row them will be nearly a load for them, at least they will be nearly filled with their own crews, so that an assaulting party would find but little room in them, particularly as our vessels are all small and their boats proportionally so. I would therefore respectfully suggest that your assaulting party be drilled at the oars, and we will endeavor to furnish the eight or ten boats at night. Every boat in this little fleet has been engaged every moment in dragging for torpedoes all day and night, or in saving public property from the three wrecks. But should you propose this attack at night the boats could be better spared. Lieutenant-Commander Franklin, our late fleet captain, will command the launches intended to operate in Minette Bay. I have said nothing of my present scarcity of efficient officers to send with the assaulting boats, but presume you have sufficient who are quite able to take charge of them.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully,

H. K. THATCHER,

Acting Rear-Admiral.

P. S.-I regret that the growing moon will disclose your approach.

WEST GULF, U. S. FLAG-SHIP STOCKADE,

Off Blakely Bar, April 4, 1865.

Captain S. M. EATON,

Chief Signal Officer, Military Division of West Mississippi:

CAPTAIN: I send you the three deserters as you desire in your dispatch of this instant. I regret to say that the light-draft vessels which we are obliged to use in this shallow [water] have no launches. From the Richmond, now coaling at Pensacola Bay, and the Ports-mouth, at New Orleans, we could probably obtain two boats fitted for howitzers. Of the latter we can furnish 6-pounders and 12-pounders. I see at once the vast importance of this service, and deeply regret my inability to send them to you at once. The Richmond will not probably be here before Sunday or Monday. Can you send a dispatch steamer to New Orleans or Lakeport and to Pensacola for these launches? If so, I will give the order to deliver them forthwith.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. K. THATCHER,

Acting Rear-Admiral.