President of the United States, who is charged by our Constitution to maintain and defend it, and he has the undoubted right to select his own agents. I know that all good officers and soldiers will give him the same hearty support and cheerful obedience they have hitherto given me. There are honors enough in reserve for all, and work enough, too. Let each do his appropriate part, and our nation must in the end emerge from this dire conflict purified and ennobled by the fires which now test its strength and purity.

All officers of the general staff not attached to my person will hereafter report in person and by letter to Major-General McClernand, commanding Army of the Mississippi, on board the steamer Tigress, at our rendezvous at Gaines' Landing and Montgomery Point.

By order of Major General W. T. Sherman:

J. H. HAMMOND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. RIGHT WING, 13TH ARMY CORPS,

Numbers 3.
Milliken's Bend, January 4, 1863.

I. The troops will not disembark at Milliken's Bend, but will proceed on another important military expedition.

The first rendezvous will be the wood-pile opposite Gaines' Landing. The second rendezvous will be mouth of White River or Montgomery Point.

II. Colonel Parsons, quartermaster, will see that his transports have enough fuel to reach some known wood-pile, and division commanders may lie by to gather wood an rails at convenient points, of which there is a supply known to be 10 miles above Milliken's, near Greenville, opposite Gaines' and near Napoleon. Whenever boats top for wood there should be a good picket kept beyond the working party.

The fleet will move in the reverse order of coming, viz, fourth, third, second, and first, but all must be at each rendezvous before another move is made. All possible fuel should be collected before we reach White River.

III. Colonel Parsons will forthwith detail eight good, strong transport boats, best supplied with fuel, to proceed to the mouth of the Yazoo and report to Admiral Porter by 10 a.m. to-day, for the purpose of towing the slow gunboats up-stream; and that the troops on board such tugs may not suffer, one of these boats must be a supply boat.

IV. The commanding general will give the signal to move from rendezvous, but between the rendezvous division commanders may control their boats and lie by whenever they choose to collect wood. On arrival at Montgomery Point boats should have full two days' fuel, and the whole time consumed in reaching Montgomery Point should not exceed sixty hours.

By order of Major General W. T. Sherman:

J. H. HAMMOND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HOLLY SPRINGS, January 4, 1863.

Colonel F. D. CALLENDER,

Chief of Ordnance, Saint Louis, Mo.:

Have you sent ordnance stores to Vicksburg? Sherman requires 400,000 rounds assorted small-arm ammunition immediately.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.