SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, TWENTIETH ARMY CORPS, Numbers 17.
Hillard's Farm, S. C., February 25, 1865.

This command will march to-morrow at the same time and in the same order as was ordered for to-day. General Pardee will take charge of 250 teams, Colonel Mindil, 150, and General Barnum the remainder.

Each regiment will march in a body by the side of the portion of the train assigned to it, and will be used whenever necessary to repair the roads or assist the teams through bad places.

The pioneer company of each brigade will report at the head of the column to General Pardee, who will use them, together with his leading regiment, to make corduroy road and other repairs.

No troops will leave the trains assigned to them until they have brought them into camp.

Whenever there is a halt in any portion of the train, the trains in rear must move up into park whenever the ground will admit.

By command of Bvt. Major General John W. Pearl:

W. T. FORBES,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WASHINGTON, February 25, 1865.

Major-General GILLMORE,

Hilton Head:

GENERAL: I inclose herewith a copy of General Grant's reply* to your dispatch of the 21st. The railroad employes asked for will not be sent, at least for the present. It is presumed that before this time you have received my dispatch of the 19th, and have sent all your available white troops to Wilmington. General Grant expects to open communication with General Sherman through North Carolina, and all our efforts are to be made in that direction. It is hoped that you will not increase the number of your military posts, and will send as many troops as you possibly can to Wilmington. We want to hold nothing in South Carolina at present except the ports, and guns can be so arranged in the forts as to command the city of Charleston.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,
Hilton Head, S. C., February 25, 1865.

Brigadier General L. C. Easton,

Chief Quartermaster, Savannah, &c.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of an extract from a letter to you from Bvt. Major General M. C. Meigs, Quartermaster-General U. S. Army, dated Washington, D. C., February 14, 1865, in regard to the railroads running from Savannah.

Very respectfully, &c.,

Q. A. GILLMORE,

Major-General, Commanding.

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* See Grant to Halleck, 1 p.m., p. 563.

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