Sixteenth, and Twenty-first Pennsylvania; First Maine, Second New York Mounted Rifles, and Sixth and Thirteenth Ohio. All the batteries of the cavalry are at City Point, except a section of Captain Miller's battery, Fourth U. S. Artillery, which has gone on to join the section in the defenses of Washington.

J. C. KELTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WASHINGTON, May 12, 1865.

Major General H. W. HALLECK:

Dispatch received. It is not intended to stop or defer sales of unserviceable animals as advertised; it was simply desired there should be uniformity in the sales. It was understood that Colonel Howard had orders to distribute some animals gratuitously. The sales should be made promptly, and Colonel Strang, at City Point, has charge of them under directions of General Ingalls.

CHS. THOMAS,

Acting Quartermaster-General, Bvt. Brigadier General U. S. Army.

GENERAL ORDERS, WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, No. 91.
Washington, May 12, 1865.

Order organizing Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands.

I. By direction of the President, Major General O. O. Howard is assigned to duty in the War Department, as Commissioner of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, under the act of Congress, entitled "An act to establish a bureau for the relief of freedmen and refugees," to perform the duties and exercise all the rights, authority, and jurisdiction vested by the act of Congress in such commissioner. General Howard will enter at once upon the duties of commissioner, specified in said act.

II. The Quartermaster-General will, without delay, assign and furnish suitable quarters and apartments for the said bureau.

III. The Adjutant-General will assign to the said bureau the number of competent clerks authorized by the act of Congress.

By order of the President of the United States:

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. MILITARY DIV. OF THE JAMES, No. 13.
Richmond, Va., May 12, 1865.

* * * *

II. The Second and Third Brigades of the Second Division of the Cavalry Corps, composed of the following regiments, viz, Fourth, Eighth, Sixteenth, Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry; Sixth and Thirteenth Ohio Cavalry, Second New York Mounted Rifles, and First Maine Cavalry, are hereby detached and are assigned to duty in the Department of Virginia.

By order of Major General H. W. Halleck:

J. C. KELTON,
Assistant Adjutant-General.