Magnolia, Miss., where there is a general hospital. There is a large steam tannery half a mile from town. At Summit there was only a squad of couriers. Hodge has been relieved of his command and ordered to Richmond, and Colonel Griffith commands the brigade, with headquarters at Whitesville, Miss. The rebels moved 17,000 pounds of bacon from Brookhaven to Mobile on the 9th. They were expecting a raid from Baton Rouge. There were no troops between Brookhaven and Jackson. Wirt Adams' command, at Jackson on the 12th instant, consisted of Sherman's [Norman's] and Scott's regiments. All other troops in that vicinity had been ordered to Forrest. There were about twelve field-pieces in Jackson not manned; they appeared to be in transit. Two of the launches reported, with a howitzer each, returned to Jackson, having failed to capture a gun-boat on the Mississippi as they had anticipated. There were three regiments of infantry (militia) at Meridian-Colonel O'Neal's, Smith's, and - 's. A very large amount of commissary stores are stored there; three large buildings full. The informant saw Forrest and Chalmers' in Canton, Miss. Three brigades are there-Chalmers', Buford's, and Starke's, amounting to about 3,000; no artillery. Many of the men are absent without leave and are constantly deserting. Ross' brigade crossed the Mississippi to go home to Texas with arms and horses. Troops are still expected from the Trans-Mississippi Department. Cars run twice a week from Brookhaven to Jackson. Only hand-cars this side of that point. Only one engine and Eight or ten cars south of Jackson. Only one train between Jackson and Canton. Quite an amount of rolling stock at Meridian. Cars run on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad as far north as Tupelo, where Roddey's command is stationed. A force from the rebel gun-boats at Mobile captured a lieutenant and nine men of the Seventy-seventh U. S. Colored Infantry near the month of Amite River. They had been at Liberty and near Fort Adams. The officers of this force were Lieutenants McDermott and Wilkinson. They say they had not been on the Mississippi. The report from General Reynolds that Price contemplated another raid into Missouri at present seem to have no confirmation. One of Magruder's staff told Mr. Hunicutt, a scout sent from here, that such a raid was contemplated by Magruder as soon as the grass was sufficiently grown to furnish forage for the horses, which would not be much before May. There seems to be no probability that Forrest will even attempt to join him.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, Your obedient servant,

A. M. JACKSON,

Major, Tenth U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery.

(In absence of Captain S. M. Eaton, chief signal officer, Military Division of West Mississippi.)

(Same to Lieutenant Colonel C. T. Christensen.)

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, Numbers 76.
New Orleans, March 20, 1865.

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4. Brigadier General M. K. Lawler, U. S. Volunteers, will report to Major General F. J. Herron, commanding Northern Division of Louisiana, for assignment to duty.

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By command of Major-General Hurlbut:

J. C. STONE,
Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.