GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, No. 45.
New Olreans, June 21, 1862.

All correspondence with the Governors of States by the officers of this department in relation to promotions and appointments of officers in the several corps in this command must be transmitted through these headquarters, and not otherwise, in order that the commanding general may add his own testimony as to the merit or demerit of the application.

By command of Major-General Butler:

R. S. DAVIS,

Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, D. C., June 23, 1862.

Major General BENJAMIN F. BULTER,

New Orleans, La.:

GENERAL: Your dispatch, dated the 10th of this month, and forwarded by Lieutenant Kinsman, has just been received.

Some days ago dispatches were forwarded to your by the Hon. reverdy Johnson, which I had hoped might have reached you before this time, but I learn by a telegram received this morning that he is still in New York. Questions raised by the representatives of foreign governments immediately after your occupation of New Orleans occasioned delay in communicating with you until the President should determine what course would be taken with them.

You will have learned by my former dispatch of the appointment of Colonel Shepley as military governor of Louisiana. Other persons were strongly urged, but I believed that the colonel would be more acceptable to you than any other person, and accordingly appointed him.

You have been troubled with no specific instructions from this Department because of the confidence in your ability to meet the exigencies of your command better upon your own judgment than upon instructions from Washington. After the instructions sent by Mr. Johnson were given, your dispatches of 31st May and 1st instant were received, and a telegram was sent to New York, of which the following is a copy:

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, June 14, 1862.

General BENJAMIN F. BUTLER:

The Secretary of War received your dispatches last night too late to write by mail. He authorizes you to raise 5,000 loyal white men, to be organized in regiments and officered by you. Arms and clothing will be sent as soon as possible. There is no experienced assistant adjutant-general who can be sent to you. If you will designate some one to be appointed I will try to have it done.

The Chief of Ordnance will be requested to send an ordnance officer to you.

L . THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

The authority thus given is now repeated in answer to your present dispatch.

The matter of your shipments to Mr. Fay was submitted to this Department, and in the desire to afford you every aid and facility for re-establishing trade and commerce in New Orleans an arrangement was made by the Quartermaster-General which was entirely satisfac-