with a view to the ultimate restoration of men and officers to their regiments when recruited from conscripts and volunteers. This method appears to be in harmony with the spirit of the act approved April 16, and I feel assured will have all the advantages with none of the defects of the other plan, while it will be more satisfactory to officers and men. To continue these costly skeleton organizations in the field I trust will not be thought of, and I cannot hesitate to ask that I may at once be invested with authority to inaugurate the proposed system of reform.

In connection with this I must suggest another and much-needed reform measure: The rolls of every regiment are encumbered with officers absent sick, many of whom have been absent for months. Men thus absent unfit for duty would be discharged on surgeon's certificate, and there can be no good reason why the same rule should not apply to officers, and a regulation established requiring the discharge of all field and company officers who remain unfit for duty [except from wounds in battle] for the period of ninety days. Such a regulation would work no hardship to the officers, and be fruitful of benefits to the service and a great contribution to the efficiency of our arms in the field.

Respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

BRAXTON BRAGG.

GENERAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT Number 2, Number 109. Chattanooga, Tenn., August 8, 1862.

I. Until otherwise ordered the forces in this department, when taking the field, will be provided with the following:

Means of transportation.-One wagon for cooking utensils, &c., for 100 men; one wagon for extra ammunition, &c., for 400 men; one wagon for each regimental headquarters; one ambulance [or light two-horse wagon] for 300 men; one wagon each for brigade and division headquarters; two wagons for headquarters Army Corps.

Camp equipage.-One tent to each regiment for medical department; one tent to regimental headquarters; two tents to brigade headquarters; two tents to division headquarters; six tent-flies for every 100 men.

Ammunition.-One hundred rounds ammunition of proper description for small-arms; a full supply for artillery, and 100 rounds for infantry and 50 rounds for the artillery [extra], to be transported by the ordnance train.

II. All surplus wagons and teams and other means of transportation not prescribed in the first paragraph of these orders will be turned in immediately to the quartermaster's department.

III. All surplus tents will be transferred to the division quartermasters, to be turned into the nearest depot quartermaster, or for disposition by the chief quartermaster of the forces.

IV. Division and brigade commanders will be held responsible for the prompt and faithful execution of the foregoing orders. They will have a thorough inspection made before taking the field of every regiment, company, and man to see that these and previous orders fixing the marching outfit of officers and soldiers are complied with.

V. All quartermasters will be required on the march to remain habitually with the rear of their trains, unless specially detached, moving promptly along to the front whenever the train is interrupted, to ascertain and correct the difficulty if in their trains.

By command of General Bragg:

THOMAS JORDAN,

Chief of Staff.