will fill their canteens and take two days' rations in their haversacks: the whole command will be in readiness to move in light marching order daybreak to-morrow. The pickets will not be removed.

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

CHAS. P. MUHLENBERG,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

POINT LOOKOUT, May 11, 1864.

Lieutenant H. T. SHROEDER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant General, Fort Monroe:

Captain Hooker, of the navy, wants the co-operation of 300 men to-night to capture torpedoes 3 miles from shore. Can I give it? Please answer.

A. G. DRAPER,

Colonel, Commanding District.

FLAG-SHIP N. ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON,

James River, May 11, 1864. (Received 9.55 p. m. 12th.)

Honorable GIDEON WELLES,

Secretary of the Navy:

Saw General Butler to-day. He says after two days' fighting at New Berne the enemy were repulsed, and retired. He gave me no information from Rochmond, nor have I any. General Smith thinks that as the Petersburg railroad is cut, the rebel army must, from want of supplies, retreat, if it does not break up, into North Carolina, and that General Grant may take Richmond without further fighting. Commander Parker reports that the iron-clad ram North Carolina came out Wilmington on the night of the 6th instant, and returned next morning, engaged and followed by the blockaders, who received no damage. Commander Davenport has heard unofficially that the iron-clad ram Albemarle was rammed by the Sassacus. Latter injured in stern and boiler; lost 2 men killed, and had 18 wounded. Mattabesett lost 2 men killed. The Bombshell, army gun-boat, was recaptured. Ram returned, apparently uninjured, to Plymouth. This intelligence he finds is partially corroborated by a dispatch from Captain Smith to General Palmer. the reports sent by mail to-morrow will reach you next day. Captain Sands reports that the rebels have established lights for both bars to Wilmington - one on bald Head light-house, the other on the Mound fort - for the blockade-runners.

S. P. LEE,

Actg. Rear-Admiral, Commanding N. A. Block. Squad.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, May 12, 1864.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT, General-in-Chief:

GENERAL: By this bearer of dispatches I transmit to you all the military intelligence which has been received by this Department since the dispatch forwarded to you night before last. An officer