taken from Southern houses and sent there to their families by officers and others attached to our armies. I have the honor to ask if it is the duty of district provost-marshals to seize all such articles?

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

RICHARD I. DODGE,

Major Twelfth Infantry, Acting Assistant Provost-Marshal-General.

[Indorsement.]

JANUARY 16, 1865.

Respectfully submitted to the Secretary of War.

The duties referred to within do not properly belong to provost-marshals, and as they have enough to do without them I do not think it best to require their performance. I therefore submit the subject, that some other branch of the Department may be called on to attend to the matter if it is deemed worthy of attention.

JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

WASHINGTON, D. C., January 13, 1865.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

City Point:

The War Department cannot spare Colonel Nichols until the return of General Townsend, who is expected early next week. Will that answer your purpose?

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

CITY POINT, January 13, 1865.

(Received 10.15 a.m.)

Major-General MEADE:

Cavalry and artillery horses may now be given full forage.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

(Same to Major-General Ord.)

CITY POINT, January 13, 1865.

(Received 9.45 p.m.)

Major-General MEADE:

Please relieve General Gibbon and order him to report to me as soon as possible for assignment to the Twenty-fourth Army Corps.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
January 13, 1865-10.30 p.m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

General Gibbon has been ordered to report to you at once. I am truly glad you have been able to give him a corps.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General.

8 R R-VOL XLVI, PT II