designate one regiment from his command to remain with the land transportation of the division. The commanding officer of the regiment will report to these headquarters for instructions.

By order of Brigadier General K. Garrard:

J. B. SAMPLE,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

BARRANCAS, FLA., March 5, 1865.

Lieutenant-Colonel CHRISTENSEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

COLONEL: May I ask the favor that you submit the statement in which this is inclosed to the commanding general and do what you think proper in suggesting my assignment to the Third Division, Sixteenth Army Corps? I am not disposed to be querulous or find fault with the commands interested to me, but I respectfully submit that I am entitled to a better command than seems likely to fall to me in the present arrangement. Assured by your uniform kindness that you will do what in your judgment is demanded by justice and the interest of the service,

I am, lieutenant-colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. A. PILE,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers.

[Inclosure.]

BARRANCAS, FLA., March 5, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Asst. adjt. General, Military Division of West Mississippi:

COLONEL: I have the honor respectfully to state to the major-general commanding that three of the regiments assigned to First Brigade, First Division, U. S. Colored Troops (Twenty-fifth, Eighty-second, and Eighty-sixth U. S. Colored Infantry), are doing garrison duty at this post. General Asboth declines to relieve them. They have made no preparation for the field; their arms are reported very defective and a large part of their equipment condemned as worthless. If these troops are to go to the field within ten or fifteen days it will be impossible, after consuming the necessary time, to get orders from military division headquarters to properly prepare them for active service. Brigadier-General Hawkins, commanding division, deems it inexpedient for him or myself to take any supervision of these troops until relieved from garrison duty and officially turned over to him. I am very anxious to go to the field, but do not desire to command a brigade of four small regiments with no opportunity to properly organize and equip them. In view of these facts I respectfully ask if there is not a division in the command that is going to field to which I can be assigned the command, and if so, earnestly request that the assignment be made.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. A. PILE,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers.

CAMP PARAPET, March 5, 1865.

(Received 11.30 a.m.)

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

In reply to your dispatch of this morning I have the honor to report as follows upon the state of my command: The Second New York Vet-