WASHINGTON, January 12, 1865.

Brigadier General ROBERT ALLEN,

Louisville:

Colonel L. B. Parsons left here last night for Louisville to take general direction of the transportation of General Schofield's corps from the Tennessee to Chesapeake Bay, just ordered by Lieutenant-General Grant. The movement will be made as far as possible by boats from Eastport. If the state of navigation will allow, the troops will not be debarked till they reach Parkersburg; but if necessary, they will take the rail either at Cairo, Evansville, Jeffersonville, or Cincinnati. Colonel Parsons cannot reach Louisville before Friday night; meanwhile please open any dispatches that may be addressed to him, and make all such arrangements respecting steam-boats as, in your judgment, will expedite and facilitate the movement. The troops only will be moved leaving their transportation behind.

C. A. DANA,

Assistant Secretary of War.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS FOURTH ARMY CORPS,

Numbers 1.
Huntsville, Ala., January 12, 1865.

The system of transportation by the use of pack animals has been so much abused by this command, and has become so great an evil, that it requires an immediate and radical change. During the campaign just closed some of the regiments of this corps collected a number of animals so large that they greatly impeded the march, and consumed large quantities of forage in the country for the want of which he proper animals of the command suffered. These animals are led by enlisted men, and for each animal a man is lost to the ranks; thus the effective force of many of our regiments is seriously weakened, and opportunity is offered to the skulkers and cowards of the command to lead these animals to the rear inthe time of battle and avoid the dangers which their comrades must brave.

To correct these the allowance of pack animals to each regiment of the command will be as follows: Two pack animals for the field and staff officers of a regiment; or where there are not field officers for the headquarters of a regiment. One pack animal for every three line officers of a regiment. Where, in dividing the

line officers by three, there is a fraction, one animal will be allowed the fraction. Two pack animals to carry the cooking utensils of a regiment.

In the foregoing enumeration the number of animals that may hereafter be allowed for the pioneers of a regiment, for the purpose of carrying tools, only, is included. All other animals now with the regiments of this command, save those belonging to mounted officers and those used for the transportation of medical panniers, must be at once turned over to the chief quartermaster of the corps to be disposed of.

Enlisted men or officers servants who have charge of pack animals must carry permits stating by whose authority they so have charge of them, who is responsible for or owns them, and who draws forage for them. These permits must be countersigned and marked "approved" by brigade provost-marshals. On the march all provost-marshals and other staff officers will examine these permits whenever they may see fit to do so, and if any man is found with an animal without such a