of doing good. The great difficulties existing in regard to furnishing employment in a captured and half-burnt city, the danger of fostering a spirit of idle vagabondism, the throngs of negroes recently free, who have come from their homes in the country to add to the starving mouths in town, and the large number of disbanded soldiers, paroled prisoners of war, who also have flocked to Richmond, all have complicated the duties of this commission, and obstructed, in some degree, its operations. It is believed, however, that the pressing wants of this varied population have been relieved, through of course only temporarily, the number of recipients of charity greatly reduced, and that if abundant employment could be offered by the authorities, the number of those in need of free rations could speedily be reduced to fewer than before the capture of the city.

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

ADAM BADEAU,

Lieutenant-Colonel and President of Relief Commission.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, ARMY OF THE JAMES, Numbers 45. Richmond, Va., April 21, 1865.

I. Brigadier General F. T. Dent, U. S. Volunteers, having reported for duty to the department commander, is hereby assigned to duty as military commander of the city of Richmond, and will command all troops within the city.

II. The troops to be stationed in Richmond will consist of the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers, the Twentieth new York Volunteers, and a further detail, to be made by Brigadier-General Devens, from the troops under his demand, to be equal in strength to two good regiments, with full complement of officers. This detail will be permanent, and will be in lieu of the daily detail of 400 men for the district provost-marshals, ordered by General Orders, Numbers 42, current series, from these headquarters.

III. General Dent will furnish to the provost-marshal-general and the district provost-marshals such details as may be necessary.

IV. The troops stationed in Richmond, by virtue of this order will be provided with suitable quarters at such points as Brigadier-General Dent shall designate.

All orders, and parts of order, conflicting herewith, are hereby revoked.

By command of Major-General Ord:

ED. W. SMITH,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, PETERSBURG, &C.,
Petersburg, Va., April 21, 1865.

Brevet Brigadier-General ABBOT,

Commanding Artillery Brigade:

GENERAL: Remove your headquarters to Ford Darling, and use your command in collecting and shipping the abandoned guns and ammunition on the south side of the James. Keep out a thin picket-line near the railroad, and send out an occasional scouting party to prevent pillage and depredations. Give guards to such as apply for them at your discretion, and do everything possible to prevent and detect the plun-