of the Departments of the Cumberland, the Ohio, and the Tennessee, in all matters appertaining to the branch of duties in your charge.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. C. McCALLUM,

Colonel, U. S. Army, Mil. Dir. and General Man. Railroads, U. S.

OFFICE General MANAGER, MIL. RAILROADS, U. S.,

Nashville, Tenn., February 11, 1864.

W. W. WRIGHT, Esq.:

SIR: You are hereby appointed chief engineer of U. S. military railroads in the Military Division of the Mississippi.

Your duties will be confined more especially to the reconstruction and opening of new lines of railroads. For this purpose you will have the entire charge of the construction corps.

You will have authority, with the approval of the general manager, to engage all persons for whose acts you are held responsible, and will have full power to dismiss any person employed under you when in your judgment the interest of the service will be promoted thereby.

You will, with the approval of the general manager, have power to establish rates of compensation of your subordinate, and will at an early day reports to the general manager, for his approval, a plan of organization of all the forces in your charge.

You will have authority to make requisition for supplies, tools, &c., upon the assistant quartermaster detailed to special duty in the Military Division of the Mississippi, and located at Nashville.

It will also be your duty to honor requisitions made upon you for men and materials by the general superintendent of U. S. military railroads in the Military Division of the Mississippi for the purpose of repairs of lines in use, but you will in no case withdraw your forces for said repairs the consent and approval of the general in command of the department where your forces may be located, or the general-in-chief of this military division.

In order to insure prompt action you will, in the absence of the general manager, obey the orders of the general-in-chief of this military division, or the generals in command of the Departments of the Cumberland, the Ohio, and the Tennessee.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. C. McCALLUM,

Colonel, U. S. Army, Mil. Dir. and General Man. Railroads, U. S.

CHATTANOOGA, February 12, 1864.

Major General U. S. GRANT,

Nashville:

Will Logan's troops reach here by Monday? I shall have to take nearly everybody away to make up 10,000 men, and therefore do not think it prudent to move before Logan's troops are near here.

G. H. THOMAS,

Major-General.