or discredit the legal currency of the United States are hereby prohibited and declared invalid.

V. The provisions of paragraph II of the regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury, dated August 28, 1862, will be strictly enforced. The paragraph referred to is as follows:

II. All transportation of coin or bullion to any State or section heretofore declared to be in insurrection is absolutely prohibited, except for military purposes and under military orders or under the special license of the Secretary of the Treasury. And no payment of gold or silver shall be made for cotton or other merchandise within any such State or section. And all cotton or other merchandise purchased or paid for therein, directly or indirectly, in gold or silver, shall be forfeited to the United States.

VI. The provost-marshal, general is charged with the execution of this order.

By command of Major-General Banks:

RICH'D B. IRWIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington City, March 11, 1863.

Major General N. P. BANKS,

Comdg. Department of the Gulf, New Orleans, La.:

GENERAL: Your letter of the 26th February is just received:

I am much disappointed at your statement of the resources of the State. I had hoped from Colonel Shaffer's report that you would have been able to supply yourself with horses and mules.

Our shipments have been unfortunate. Many horses have been thrown overboard; many have been wrecked. The last shipment of cavalry went by steamer and I hope will get through safely. I order to-day 500 cavalry and artillery horses shipped to you from New York to make up for losses. They will go forward as soon as they can be obtained.

I advise you to cause all your chief quartermaster's requisitions to be sent to this office in the first place. It will save time and make the supply more certain than if sent to subordinate officers direct, as to the quartermaster in New York or Boston.

If you will keep me fully and timely advised of the wants of your troops so far as depends upon the Quartermaster's Department no effort will be spared to supply you. I will endeavor to send you two or three steamers suitable for the river, but the voyage is dangerous at this season. Were none of those which carried out your troops suited to the service? If so, it is a pity they were not retained. Advise me fully of the character and size of boats you need. In the mean time the boats in your possession should be repaired, and if there are any partly finished engines or engines upon old boats I suggest that they may be put into new hulls built in New Orleans. There are, unless destroyed by the rebels, facilities at New Orleans for building, and there are many persons unemployed, some of whom must be capable of doing the work.

Advise me fully that I may aid you.

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

M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General.