in said corps. Such supply trains will remain consolidated, or be distributed to divisions or brigades, as the corps command may direct.

IX. The chief quartermasters of corps d'armee will cause wagons to be assigned in their respective corpses follows: One wagon, on the requisition of the senior medical officer of each brigade, for brigade hospital purposes; 1 wagon, on the requisition of the brigade commissary of subsistence, to haul supplies for sales to officers; 4 wagons to every 1,000 men to haul small-arms ammunition; 2 wagons to each division to haul forage for ambulance animals. The wagons allowed to a regiment, battery, or squadron must carry nothing but forage for the teams, cooking utensils, and rations for the troops, hospital stores, and officers' baggage. One wagon to each regiment will transport exclusively hospital supplies, under the direction of the regimental surgeon; the one for regimental headquarters will carry the grain for the officers' horses, and the three allowed for each battery will be at least half loaded with grain for their own teams. Stores in bulk and ammunition will be carried in the regular or special supply trains.

X. Wagons for the Reserve Artillery ammunition, the signal corps, and balloon party will assigned from this officer, and drawn from the general depot on the requisitions of the chief of artillery and chief signal officer, respectively.

XI. The chief quartermaster of corps d'armee will be held responsible that these allowances are not exceeded; that they be immediately reduced in accordance with this order, and that all excess be properly disposed of forth with.

XII. It is especially enjoined on all officers of the quartermaster's department that they transact all their legitimate duties promptly, and in each case finally at the time, so far as proper or practicable. While it is an essential duty and an evidence of real business qualifications to refer to higher authorities all matters requiring their advice, revision, or approval, it is, one the contrary, a most reprehensible practice, showing lack of fitness and self-confidence, to refer constantly to such authorities ordinary business matters. For instance, officers should not refer an employe or claimant from one office to another on trivial pretexts, thus annoying the person, delaying justice, and manufacturing a business now very common and unnecessary.

XIII. It is imperatively demanded of all officers of the quartermaster's department that they shall keep themselves acquainted with the wants of their respective commands, and that they shall give timely notice thereof to this office, through the chief quartermasters of the respective corps d'armee. They will be held in strict responsibility for any disobedience of these orders.

XIV. The circular of October 2, 1862, in reference to allowances of transportation, &c., is canceled.

By order of Major-General Hooker:

RUFUS INGALLS,

Chief Quartermaster, Army of the Potomac.

HEADQUARTERS ENGINEERS BRIGADE, Camp near Falmouth, Va., May 29, 1863.

General S. WILLIAMS,

Asst. Adjt. General, Army of the Potomac:

SIR: I have the honor to report that, in accordance with the desire of the major-general commanding, I have to-day visited Aquia Creek, for the purpose of reconnoitering that position; especially the points on