HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,
Hilton Head, S. C., March 31, 1865.

Brigadier General E. E. POTTER,

U. S. Volunteers, Charleston, S. C.:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs that, until further orders, no horses either captured or others, will be disposed of to officers except such condemned horses as they may purchase at auction. All captured or quartermaster's horses now in the temporary possession of officers must be immediately turned over tothe quartermaster's department, except such horses that have been issued by authority from these headquarters to line officers who are temporarily on duty that requires them to be mounted. Orderlies, carriers, and messengers will not be mounted on horses suitable for artillery, cavalry, or quartermaster's use, except when others cannot be obtained. The major-general commanding further directs that you make a return to these headquarters of all horses in your command available for issue as soon as possible.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. L. M. BURGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

(Copy sent to each district commander.)

Abstract from returns of the U. S. forces under the immediate command of Major General William T. Sherman, U. S. Army, for March 31, 1865.

Present for duty. *

Command Officers Men Aggregate

present

General and staff 17 . . . 17

. . .

7th Company Ohio Sharpshooters 2 70 80

1st Michigan Engineers (ten 42 1,083 1,378

companies)

1st Missouri Engineers (five 10 266 413

companies)

Army of the Tennessee:

General and staff 26 . . . 26

. .

Escort 4 59 89

Signal detachment (Taylor) 5 62 67

Fifteenth Army Corps (Logan) 784 15,591 19,063

Seventeenth Army corps (Blair) 496 12,424 14,517

Total Right Wing (Howard) 1,315 28,136 33,762

Army of Georgia:

General and staff 4 . . . 4

. . .

Pontoniers (Downey) 25 431 694

Fourteenth Army Corps (Davis) 519 12,792 14,998

Twentieth Army Corps (Williams) 662 12,182 14,595

Total Left Wing (Slocum) 1,210 25,405 30,291

Cavalry (Kilpatrick) 159 4,070 4,928

Grant total 2,755 59,030 70,887

Command Aggregate Pieces of

present and field

absent artillery

General and staff 17 . . . . .

. .

7th Company Ohio Sharpshooters 95 . . . . .

. .

1st Michigan Engineers (ten companies) 1,723 . . . . .

. .

1st Missouri Engineers (five 497 . . . . .

companies) . .

Army of the Tennessee:

General and staff 37 . . . . .

. .

Escort 139 . . . . .

. .

Signal detachment (Taylor) 70 . . . . .

. .

Fifteenth Army Corps (Logan) 29,239 18

Seventeenth Army corps (Blair) 25,342 14

Total Right Wing (Howard) 54,827 32

Army of Georgia:

General and staff 7 . . . . .

. .

Pontoniers (Downey) 882 . . . . .

. .

Fourteenth Army Corps (Davis) 27,160 14

Twentieth Army Corps (Williams) 28,306 16

Total Left Wing (Slocum) 56,355 30

Cavalry (Kilpatrick) 9,223 5

Grant total 122,727 67

[MARCH 31, 1865. -For organization of troops under the immediate command of Major General William T. Sherman, covering this date, see Part i, p. 46.]

---------------

*For the effective strenght, see Part I, p. 43.

---------------