the location in which forage can be found. The supplies of grain, provisions, and ammunition with which the command starts must be used with the greatest possible economy, and every effort must be made to move with the greatest possible celerity till the barren portion of country is passed. In the absence of specific orders from these headquarters division commanders will cause their commands to begin the march at daybreak, or as soon thereafter as practicable, marching brigades on separate roads where it can be done to advantage. Corps headquarters will be habitually with the center column. By command of Brevet Major-General Wilson: E. B. BEAUMONT, Major and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS FIFTH DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS, Maj. Gen. GEORGE H. THOMAS, Comdg. Department of the Cumberland, Nashville, Tenn.: GENERAL: I forward with this such extracts* from General Wilson's instructions to me, given upon his departure, that lead me into direct communication with yourself and heads of departments which may hasten the arming and equipping of my command; also General Wilson's ordert showing that the present destitute condition of my command was not ordered through any imputation of disgrace toward the division, but purely for the good of the service; and would earnestly request my division may be put upon a war footing, and would respectfully request if any doubt exists of its discipline or appearance of the men I solicit an inspector be appointed to inspect these troops; and also refer to former inspection reports of the regiments I brought to this department, which state favorably in every instance regarding their appearance and discipline. The Second Iowa Cavalry, Third, Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth Illinois Cavalry were re-enlisted a year ago as veterans, with the promise if they would re-enlist they should be armed with the Spencer carbine. Of these only the Second Iowa Cav-. alry and Sixth Illinois Cavalry were armed with the Spencer carbine. What the Ninth Illinois Cavalry had were surplus arms from these regiments and arms captured or left on the field by other regiments. These arms have since been turned over to General Wilson's command, about to take the field for active operations. The Third and Seventh Illinois Cavalry have for eight months carried arms condemned and turned over at one time at Memphis, Tenn. The Twelfth Missouri have an arm condemned eight months ago. I am receiving recruits daily, and have not arms enough to arm my command, and have sent (some days since) Captain Budd to you for muskets, despairing of obtaining a cavalry arm. I believe there is not an instance that any of these regiments have broken in front of the enemy, and I have never seen them charge a battery they did not take or a line of the enemy they did not break. If horses cannot be furnished I would suggest that the division be thoroughly armed. It can be made as effective as any infantry with the drill it is now receiving, and will in twenty days be *See Wilson to Hatch, March 17, p. 11. See General Orders, No. 24, headquarters Cavalry Corps, Military Division of the Mississippi, March 18, p. 19. able to take the field effectively on foot. So far as obtaining information suggested by General Wilson, I consider the best is to be obtained by purchasing officers at the headquarters of the enemy. This I can do. It will require money, however, to do this. I have none and no way of obtaining any here in the way of assessments, as I consider this only a camp of instruction, not a post. The railroad train run by the rebels has reached Corinth, and yesterday was near Burnsville. It will be at Iuka probably to-morrow. This is reported to me by scouts. From these reports, however, I am not sure that it is a train coming north from West Point or one that has remained near Corinth. I should like very much to have instructions regarding the running of these trains. I know General Forrest well enough to be aware he will take any advantage of this privilege. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, EDWARD HATCH, Brigadier-General. GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF KENTUCKY, It being well known that much hostility still exists in the minds of some evil-disposed persons in the State of Kentucky against the enlistment of colored soldiers, and that in order to discourage enlistment many cases have occurred of their barbarous treatment, imprisonment in jails and slave pens, it is ordered that hereafter no colored person in this department shall be confined in any jail or prison except by proper legal authority, and that all slave pens and other private places of coufinement be at once broken up. Commanding officers of troops throughout the department are charged with the proper execution of this order. By command of Major-General Palmer: E. B. HARLAN, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, Maj. Gen. C. C. WASHBURN, Memphis, Tenn.: (Received 21st.) Your telegraphic application to me for advice as to whether you shall obey General Canby's order to turn over your cavalry to General Grierson was referred to Major-General Halleck for the information of the Department. At the same time I informed General Halleck that this cavalry could not be spared from your district and that you were authorized by me to detain it until I could hear from him. I this morning received the following telegram.* You will retain the cavalry in your district, except the brigade which General Dana brought to Memphis, which can be sent to Vicksburg if they still require it. If nothing prevents I will start from here on Thursday next to visit you. GEO. H. THOMAS, Major-General, U. S. Ármy. * See Halleck to Thomas, 11.30 a. m. March 19, p. 28. HDQRS. ARMY AND DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Lieut. Col. C. G. SAWTELLE, Fort Gaines, Ala., March 20, 1865. Chief Quartermaster, Military Division of West Mississippi: SIR: If any of the light-draft schooners now lying at Navy Cove laden with sutler stores are fit to carry ammunition you are authorized to seize any one of them, have it laden with ammunition by the ordhance officer of the Thirteenth Corps, and sent up the bay to the troops in the field. By order of Maj. Gen. E. R. S. Canby: C. T. CHRISTENSEN, Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. U. S. FORCES OPERATING FROM PENSACOLA BAY, Pensacola, Fla., March 20, 1865. Lieut. Col. C. T. CHRISTENSEN, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Hdqrs. Mil. Div. of West Mississippi: COLONEL: Spurling was at work all last night, and his whole command is probably at Creigler's Mills by this time. The balance of the troops were concentrated here yesterday, and commenced moving into the interior this morning. I will inclose a return approximating as nearly as practicable to the strength of my effective force. General Lucas arrived yesterday. When the rest of his brigade gets up General Asboth will have 1,200 or 1,500 effective men, and the convalescents and sick that could be employed in case of emergency will probably augment his force to 2,000, which I think is ample for the defense of Barrancas, but not enough to carry on the extensive work which the general has laid out. The central wharf here was put in complete repair and a railroad track laid the whole extent of it and up to the store houses in town. As I could not spare troops to leave a garrison in the place, and as I presume it was not intended that I should do so, I addressed an official letter to Capt. A. Gibson, U. S. Navy, commanding squadron in Pensacola Bay, and requested him to protect the wharf until troops should arrive to garrison the town. I have received no reply from Captain Gibson, but there is a man-of-war lying broadside on to enfilade the wharf. Andrews has twelve days' rations and Hawkins ten days'. Cavalry, ditto, except Spurling, who did not take a wheel. We have ten days' oats-ten quarts per day-for train animals. From all the information that I can obtain, it is probable that we shall find neither forage nor provisions between here and Pollard, except that the cavalry may find some on by-roads. If I do not hear from. headquarters by the time the rations in haversacks are out I shall order half-rations issued to the troops. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, F. STEELE, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Dannelly's Ferry, Fish River, March 20, 1865-4.30 p.m. Maj. Gen. E. R. S. CANBY: I have the honor to report that we made a safe landing at this point at 2.30 p. m., and are now engaged in forming our lines for defense. I hope before dark to have everything in position, and will await the arrival of the remainder of my corps. No portion of General Granger's troops have yet arrived. I will construct the bridge early in the morning. I will send back the boats as fast as unloaded. The navigation of the river is good to Smith's Mills; from that point to this the river is narrow and crooked. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, No. 12. } GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. SEPARATE CAVALRY BRIGADE, Pensacola, Fla., March 20, 1865. The officers composing the staff of the brigadier-general commanding are hereby announced as follows: Maj. J. E. Cowan, acting assistant inspector-general; Maj. R. H. Perry, chief of outposts; Surg. J. A. Skilton, medical officer in charge; Capt. E. V. Hitch, acting assistant adjutant-general; Capt. H. R. Steele, commissary of subsistence; Capt. G. W. Becker, acting aide-de-camp and provost-marshal; First Lieut. H. D. Barber, acting aide-de-camp; Second Lieut. H. W. Thayer, acting ordnance officer; Second Lieut. T. J. Simpson, acting assistant quartermaster. By order of Brigadier-General Lucas: E. V. HITCH, Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. 3. The commanding officer at Fort Pickens will at once send the two smallest companies of his command to this place to report to Col. F. L. Hitchcock, Twenty-fifth U. S. Colored Infantry, for duty. Colonel Hitchcock will encamp these companies inside the new fortified line, extending from the redoubt to the Bayou Grande, for the purpose of guarding that line, serving the guns, and assisting to complete the inner earth-works at Fort Barrancas and the redoubt. The quartermaster's department will furnish the necessary transportation from Fort Pickens to this place and provide the working parties with the required tools. 5. Col. F. L. Hitchcock, Twenty-fifth U. S. Colored Infantry, is assigned to the command of Fort Barrancas and the redoubt, including the continued line of works between that fort and the Bayou Grande; also the picket-line along the bayou to Gun-boat Point. 6. Col. D. B. Bush, Second Illinois Cavalry, will at once resume command of all the detachments of cavalry now serving within this district except the Second Maine and the First Florida Cavalry, making a consolidated return of the command thus [formed] to these headquarters. CITY POINT, VA., March 21, 1865—4 p. m. Has Cruft started yet with the detachments belonging to Sherman's army? Your dispatches of 18th and 20th were received yesterday. Stoneman's directions are satisfactory, but Sheridan did not go to Lynchburg. If not too late, inform Stoneman of the fact. U. S. GRANT, HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, L. H. EICHOLTZ, Acting Chief Engineer, Knoxville: Your two telegrams of 19th and 20th received. I wish you to place the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad in condition to sustain as constant work as the Chattanooga and Atlanta road did last year. Does General Stanley move on with his forces before your construction parties? If you have the men to spare, you had better commence the switch at Knoxville at once. I want everything along the road prepared for heavy work as soon as possible. GEO. H. THOMAS, Major-General, U. S. Army, Commanding. NASHVILLE, TENN., March 21, 1865. Brig. Gen. W. L. ELLIOTT, Huntsville, Ala.: The One hundred and forty-ninth Indiana is en route to report to General Granger. As soon as it does so you will move to East Tennessee with your division and join the Fourth Corps. Brig. Gen. W. D. WHIPPLE, Chief of Staff: WM. D. WHIPPLE, HUNTSVILLE, March 21, 1865. Dispatch received. General Stanley ordered that the transportation of the corps, including the ambulance corps and pontoon train, should precede my division. The transportation of Wood's division is now being shipped. The ambulance corps, pontoon train, and transportation for my division is yet to go. Do you intend your order to cause any change to be made in the order of shipment? I have information I deem reliable of the intended meeting of a conscripting party on Saturday morning, which I intend to capture or disperse without interfering with the movement of my command, if no change is made in the order of shipment. W. L. ELLIOTT, Brigadier-General. |