At the same time this move is made, I want to send a force of from six to ten thousand men against Wilmington.

The way I propose to do this is to land the men north of Fort Fisher, and hold that point.

At the same time a large naval fleet will be assembled there, and the iron-clads will run the batteries as they did at Mobile.

This will give us the same control of the harbor of Wilmington that we now have of the harbor of Mobile.

What you are to do with the forces at your command, I do not exactly see.