The weather of the winter first, and the condition of the ground in spring, would permit little advantage to be derived from the presence of the army at Richmond until the middle of May.  So that General Sherman has no reason to move in haste, but can choose such objects as he prefers, and take as much time as their attainment may demand.  The Department will learn the objects in view of General Sherman more precisely from a letter addressed by him to General Halleck, which he read to me a few days since.

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

J. A. Dahlgren,
Rear-Admiral, commanding South-Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

Headquarters military division of the Mississippi,
in the field, Pocotaligo, south Carolina, January 29, 1885.

Major-General J. G. Foster, commanding Department of the South.

General:  I have just received dispatches from General Grant, stating that Schofield’s corps (the Twenty-third), twenty-one thousand strong, is ordered east from Tennessee, and will be sent to Beaufort, North Carolina.  That is well; I want that force to secure a point on the railroad about Goldsboro’, and then to build the railroad out to that point.  If Goldsboro’ be too strong to carry by a rapid movement, then a point near the Neuse, south of Goldsboro’, will answer, but the bridge and position about Kinston, should be held and fortified strong.  The movement should be masked by the troops already at Newbern.  Please notify General Palmer that these troops are coming, and to be prepared to receive them.  Major-General Schofield will command in person, and is admirably adapted for the work.  If it is possible, I want him to secure Goldsboro’, with the railroad back to Morehead City and Wilmington.  As soon as General Schofield reaches Fort Macon, have him to meet some one of your staff, to explain in full the details of the situation of affairs with me; and you can give him the chief command of all troops at Cape Fear and in North Carolina.  If he finds the enemy has all turned south against me, he need not follow, but turn his attention against Raleigh; if he can secure Goldsboro’ and Wilmington, it will be as much as I expect before I have passed the Santee.  Send him all detachments of men that have come to join my army.  They can be so organized and officered as to be efficient, for they are nearly all old soldiers who have been detached or on furlough.  Until I pass the Santee, you can better use these detachments at Bull’s Bay, Georgetown, etc.

I will instruct General McCallum, of the Railroad Department, to take his men up to Beaufort, North Carolina, and employ them on the road out.  I do not know that he can use them on any road here.  I did instruct him, while awaiting information from North Carolina, to have them build a good trestle-bridge across Port Royal ferry; but I now suppose the pontoon-bridge will do.  If you move the pontoons, be sure to make a good road out to Garden’s Corners, and mark it with sign-boards—­obstructing the old road, so that, should I send back any detachments, they would not be misled.