HEADQUARTERS, &C., March 31, 1865.

Major General A. J. SMITH,
Commanding Sixteenth Army Corps:

Direct General Garrard to detail a working party of 500 men to report to Captain McAleser, at these headquarters, at sunrise to-morrow morning. The men will bring their tools with them.

By order of Major-General Canby:

C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, In the Field, Ala., March 31, 1865.

Brigadier General J. McARTHUR,
Commanding First Division:

GENERAL: I m directed by the major-general commanding to state that he desires the firing of the artillery now along your front to be reduced to the very minimum, keeping the gunners, however, always at hand and on the alert for any emergency. As soon as all guns are in position and the necessary amount of ammunition can be accumulated, the most energetic fire from the whole line will commence again and the place subjected to a complete bombardment. In the meantime division commanders will have their enfilading and direct batteries advanced to the most effective sites and their profiles made sufficiently strong to stand the fire form the forts. The approaches and parallels are to be widened out and systematically connected all around the line, so as to be able to move, under cover, bodies of troops from one point to another. Emplacements for the gathering of columns must be properly arranged at intervals, and everything prepared to make and assault successful, if it should be ordered.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. HOUGH,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

(Same to Brigadier General E. A. Carr, commanding Third Division.)

HDQRS. ARMY AND DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Near Spanish Fort, Ala., March 31, 1865.

Brigadier General JAMES C. VEATCH,
Commanding First Brigadier, Thirteenth Army Corps, Holyoke, Ala.:

GENERAL: General Steele has turned into Stockton for supplies and will not reach you as soon as I anticipated. I have directed him to push on to Holyoke to-morrow night, if possible . He will send a regiment of cavalry to-morrow morning to advise you of the road by which he comes in. If you have information that he will meet with opposition you will yourself march out to meet him; otherwise you will remain in your present position and carry out the instructions given you yesterday.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ED. R. S. CANBY,

Major-General, Commanding.