hope we may be able to hold it. But you will not want the 10-inch mortars or the guns in the redoubt. After all the columbians, rifled guns, and see-coast howitzers are moved the mortars, then the smooth-bor guns.

Captain Merchant says there are several bars of lead at the store- house by the magazine, and some more about the quartermaster's office or store-house; if so, send it all here by the first train; it is greatly needed; and have the roofs of the houses in the navy-yard and hospital examined, and if any lead can be found send it here.

Telegraphic communication with Pensacola and Montgomery has been cut off for two days, and I therefore do not know how many volunteers you have received. If you want more, telegraph Governor Shorter, and ask him to send them. There are reports here of fighting in West Tennessee, but nothing positive.

Very respectfully and truly, &c.,

SAM. JONES,

Brigadier-General.

PENSACOLA, March 16, 1862.

Captain C. S. STRINGFELLOW,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to orders from you by letters dated respectively the 7th and 10th instant,* I proceeded with two companies (Captains Means' and Baker's) of the First Regiment Florida Volunteers, in the steamer Tom Murray, from Deer Point, at 8 o'clock p.m. on the 10th, arriving at Miller's Mills, in East Bay, at 11 o'clock. I called at once on Colonel Miller, but not finding him at home, I advised Mrs. Miller of the object of my mission. At daylight I commenced the execution of your orders by firing the mills and other property, boats, &c.

Having finished here, I proceeded without delay up the Blackwater River, destroying everything in my route embraced in my instructions until I reached Milton. There, at the earnest solicitation of the citizens, I deferred burning anything until my return from General Jackson Morton's, at the head of Blackwater, they thinking that they could destroy one of the mills, the burning of which at that time would have endangered a large portion of the city, and it making no material, if any, difference whether destroyed then or on my return. Returning, I destroyed everything at Milton embraced in your order.

I reached the mouth of the Escambia about 11 o'clock a.m. on Wednesday, and proceeded up the river, burning as I went all that could be burned. A large mouth of square (ship) timber which could not be burned was turned adrift. I found it necessary to burn the gunboats at Bagdad and Milton, it being impracticable to tow them up the Escambia, as they could not pass the bar; in fact, only one of them was launched.

I reached Bluff Springs at about 10 o'clock a.m. on Saturday, after a fatiguing and unremitting labor in the performance of my duties. At this point I received your note from Pollard, dated the 13th. The duties had required so much longer time than had been anticipated that our provisions were entirely out on reaching the Springs; indeed, they gave out on Tuesday evening, and it became necessary to purchase supplies, which I did at Milton. But these again gave out, and I had to

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*Letter of the 7th not found.

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