passages and shoal water of your district, and have therefore ordered the Houghton and General Hooker to be assigned for the present to your department. These boats are small, but owing to their light draught of water will be of more service to you than the Philadelphia, as they can go either outside or inside. The columbiads should be removed from Cole's Island to Fort Delafield, and the 30-pounder Parrotts from Long Island and Morris or Folly Island. Light guns should be substituted for the columbiads on Cole's Island and for those taken from Long Island. Your particular attention will be given to the care of the prisoners of war on Morris Island, and the utmost vigilance exercised on the part of the guards.

I desire that detailed orders may be given to every regiment and detachment in your command as to their rallying points and their duties, in case of an attack by a party of the enemy in boats with the design of liberating the rebel prisoners. These detailed orders should be concise and clear, and be thoroughly understood by every officer and man. Very little dependence must be placed upon the firing form Fort Strong on parties of men while on the island; all such must be attended to by infantry and light artillery. The rations of our officers, prisoners of war in Charleston, have been ascertained to be as follows: Fresh meat, three-quarters of a pound, or one-half pound of salt meat; rice, one-fifth pint; one-half pound hard-bread or one-half pint of meal; beans, one-fifth pint. I desire that in rationing the prisoners of war nw in your hands you be government accordingly, making sure that they receive no more than the above except what salt or vinegar may be necessary for them. You may, whenever it is deemed advisable, issue molasses to them in lieu of any of the articles mentioned. Our officers confined in Charleston are obliged to cook their own food, and I desire that the prisoners in our hands be made to do the same, unless you consider it more convenient or safe to do their cooking by soldiers detailed for the purpose. If you conclude to have the prisoners do their own cooking, details must be made from each detachment for the purpose, and the cooking must be done within the limits of the prison camp, and care must be taken to see that the cooking places are thoroughly cleansed after each meal. The printed orders issued by Colonel Gurney for the government of the camp must be modified accordingly.

I have the honor to be, general, your obedient servant,

J. G. FOSTER,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST FLORIDA,
Barrancas, September 12, 1864.

Major GEORGE B. DRAKE,

Asst. Adjt. General, Hdqrs. Department of the Gulf:

MAJOR: I have the honor to report that owing to information received and forwarded yesterday, under Numbers 1045, I am to start on a cavalry raid into the northeastern portion of West Florida. Going up the Santa Rosa Island and swimming the horses across the East Pass to the mainland, I will proceed to Point Washington and from thence to Marianna and vicinity, returning via Saint Andrew's Salt Works. My object is to capture the isolated rebel cavalry and infantry in Washington and Jackson Counties, and to liberate the