labor as shall be mutually advantageous to all parties. Neither idleness nor vagrancy will be tolerated, and the Government will not extend pecuniary aid to any persons, whether white or black, who are unwilling to help themselves.

III. District and post commanders throughout this department will at once cause this order to be circulated far and wide, by special couriers or otherwise, and will take such steps to secure its enforcement as may be them be deemed necessary.

Q. A. GILLMORE,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION CAVALRY,
Tallahassee, Fla., May 14, 1865.

Brigadier General I. VOGDES,

Commanding District, Jacksonville:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 13th instant relative to my receiving the surrender of General Jones, C. S. Army, and his command, and in reply would say that I am acting under orders (copies of which I inclose) from my corps commander, Brevet Major-General Wilson, and had already received this surrender of General Jones and his troops and paroled the majority of them before receiving your letter. In executing my orders I have confined myself strictly to their intent, simply receiving the surrender and guarding and collecting public property, arms, &c., at this point. I have no desire to interfere with any duties which have been assigned to you, but acting as I do solely in a subordinate capacity, I can do no less than endeavor to carry out my instructions unless they are revoked by General Wilson, or other competent authority. In the meantime, as I am exercising no authority except such as is expressly designated in my instructions, and necessary for the security of public property in my charge, my action cannot in any warty embarrass you in exercise of your administrative duties. I think the arrival of my command in Tallahassee most opportune, as mobs of citizens and soldiers throughout the whole country were engaged in breaking open the public store-houses and appropriating their contents. The paroles and rolls I have used are such as were furnished me by the corps provost-marshal. I will forward your communication, together with a copy of this, to General Wilson, and communicate with you immediately upon receiving a reply.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. M. McCOOK,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[MAY 15, 1865. --For regulations to be observed in mustering out regimental or company organizations, see General Orders, Numbers 94, War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, Vol. XLVI, Part III, p. 1153.]

FREDERICKSBURG, May 15, 1865.

(Received 5 p. m.)

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

Commanding U. S. Armies:

GENERAL: I have to report my arrival here. I left General Slocum at noon at Chancellorsville, and he will cross the Fourteenth at Raccoon