HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
New Orleans, La., December 3, 1864.

Rear- Admiral S. P. LEE,

Commanding Mississippi Squadron, Mound City, Ill.:

SIR: Besides the reasons given by the major-general commanding in the letter which I had the honor to address you under yesterday's date for not permitting the products of insurrectionary districts to be brought from within the enemy's lines, he desires me to state that the entire country which would be laid open if the recent trade permits were complied with is now or will be covered by military operations directed by General Grant and to be executed by General Sherman and General Canby. Under the circumstances, he has, therefore, felt it his duty to suspend the execution of any orders for the opening of promiscuous trade until further instruction are received from Washington.

Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant- Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER,

New Orleans, La., December 3, 1864.

Lieutenant C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Asst. Adjt. General Mil., Div. of West Miss., New Orleans, La.:

SIR: I have the honor to submit to your consideration a statement of the information received at this office this 3rd day of December, 1864, from the following source, a report from Lieutenant Milton J. Roberts, Barrancas, Fla., November 30:

Refugees report that enemy are fortifying Marianna, Fla. The force at that point consists of twenty artillerists with two 6- pounders, three companies of cavalry (forty men each), commanded by Colonel Scott, and one company of home guards, Lieutenant S. M Gamble. There is also a picket- post on the Choctawhatchie River.

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

FRANK W. MARSTON,

Major, Signal Corps, U. S. Army, Commanding.

HDQRS DIST. OF WEST FLORIDA AND SOUTH ALABAMA,
Fort Gaines, December 3, 1864.

Lieutenant-Colonel CHRISTENSEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

COLONEL: I have the honor to represent to the commanding general that if he deems it expedient at this time to make a demonstration from this point in favor of General Davidson, and to retain the present force of the enemy near the fortifications surrounding Mobile, the additional troops required to make it effective should be forwarded to me additional troops required to make it effective should be forwarded to me with the least practicable delay. To convey these troops, and such as I propose taking from this post and Pensacola, with proper dispatch to the points I have selected for bases of operation, I shall require three or four transports of light- draught, the water in the Sound at this season of the year being very shoal in consequence of the northers which prevail. The lines around Mobile seem to be more closely drawn than heretofore. No papers have been received therefrom for more than a