HDQRS. FIRST AND SECOND DIVS., 23rd ARMY CORPS,
Moseley Hall, N. C., March 31, 1865.

General McLEAN:

GENERAL: Colonel Savage has been ordered to advance his camp about three miles toward Best's house, where he can find a good position. The commanding general wishes you to occupy the position vacated by him with a strong picket line. He further directs that you at once cause a regiment to move out to Best's house, at the intersection of the Goldsborough and Snow Hill and the Moseley Hall and Snow Hill roads; thence cautiously toward Goldsborough, on the Goldsborough road, to some point opposite Colonel Strickland's left; thence by left-hand road down to Colonel Strickland's position, and so back to their own camp. On the supposition that the regiment will be out all night he directs that your order it to take up at evening a good position, and watch its front and flanks with care, resuming its scout in the morning.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. A. CILLEY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. FIRST AND SECOND DIV., 23rd ARMY CORPS,
March 31, 1865.

General McLEAN:

GENERAL: The commanding general wishes you to be notified that a cavalry skirmish occurred two miles and a half outside the cavalry camp this a. m. ; also that he had directed a field officer and a good part of cavalry to accompany your infantry scout. He directs me to say that he has as yet had no report whatever from the officer in charge of railroad patrols from your division.

I am, general, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

C. A. CILLEY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
In the Field, Goldsborough, N. C., March 31, 1865.

General TERRY,

Commanding at Faison's Station:

Send orders to the depot commissary of subsistence at Wilmington to send forward coffee, sugar, and hard bred, with all possible dispatch. Let them come up the river to the bridge, and thence by rail to this place. We greatly need these stores. Two additional locomotives and about twenty cars and now at Wilmington, reach for your branch of the road as soon as the bridge is done. Answer.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

GOLDSBOROUGH, March 31, 1865.

Major-General TERRY,

Faison's:

General Sherman has returned and has arranged everything as we desired, except that no more troops can come from Virginia. Your corps in the Tenth. I will make up your Third Division from troops in