confident will reach 30,000. First Cavalry Division not heard from. Failure of Pay Department to make payments for last three weeks has had very injurious effect on re-enlistments.

JOHN H. YOUNG,

Captain and Department Commissary of Musters.

SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE TENNESSEE,

No. 23. Natchez, Miss., March 5, 1864.

I. The intrenchments now approaching completion at Natchez will be known as Fort McPherson, and its magazine and armament will be finished at as early a date as possible.

II. All citizens living within its limits must be removed within a reasonable time, and all roads leading to and through it will be closed to the public.

III. The commanding officer at Natchez will assemble a board of survey, composed of three officers of rank and experience, with a recorder, which will examine all houses and tenements within the lines of intrenchments, and such on the outside as should in the judgment of Captain Hains, U. S. Engineers, be destroyed, and assess their value in gold coin. A copy of their proceedings will be filed with the commanding officer at Natchez, another copy sent to the Quartermaster-General, and a third with the Engineer Department at Washington, D. C. A certificate of valuation will be given each tenant or occupant in possession, regardless of his or her loyalty and ownership.

IV. The commanding officer at Natchez will give to each party dispossessed of houses or tenements by this order possession of another house of like value in Natchez which may be vacant, and the property of some known or suspected rebel.

By order of Major General W. T. Sherman:

L. M. DAYTON,

Aide-de-Camp.

WASHINGTON, March 6, 1864 - 11.30 a. m.

Major General U. S. GRANT,

Louisville, Ky.:

The Secretary of War directs me to say to you that your commission as lieutenant-general is signed, and will be delivered to you on your arrival at the War Department. I sincerely congratulate you on this recognition of your distinguished and meritorious services.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

KNOXVILLE, March 6, 1864 - 9 a. m.

Major-General THOMAS,

Commanding:

I have no immediate use for Granger's corps, and will order it to Cleveland if you so direct. If Longstreet returns I will be unable to hold the railroad bridge at Strawberry Plains, and all my work