Stockton and Montgomery Stage road will substantially form your line of direction. You may avail yourself of this and all roads parallel to it, and march your command in several columns whenever practicable, and in supporting distance of each other. General Grierson, commanding cavalry, will in about two days after your departure follow you, with orders to keep on your right and to support you whenever you desire. He will furthermore receive orders to detach two regiments of cavalry and have them report to you and remain with you until further orders from these headquarters. It is intended to embark to convoy army transports, and to send it, together with the necessary supplies, by way of Alabama River. General Steele will have to sweep all opposition from that stream and come up on your left. Whenever you find practicable roads to march your command in more than one column, you will keep your outer column as much as possible disencumbered from bulky trains, marching them with an interior column nearest to the river. You will march with all rapidity without injuring your troops and animals. You will attempt communication with the U. S. forces under General Wilson at Selma, or wherever they may be. In case they should have left Selma for Montgomery your orders are to support General Wilson's movements. Greenville, which point threatens equally Selma and Montgomery, will be best adapted to confer with General Wilson and to decide what course is to be taken. If Selma should be evacuated by our forces and occupied again by the rebel troops, you will of course consider Selma the objective point of your expedition, and march for it, giving promptness information to these headquarters and the commanders on your flanks. If General Wilson should still be at Selma, or have gone westward, you will march for and attempt to take Montgomery City, threatening, however, Selma during your advance, if the place is not occupied by any troops.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

P. J. OSTERHAUS,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Near Blakely, Ala., April 12, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,
Asst. Adjt. General, Army and Division of West Mississippi:

COLONEL: I have the honor to state that the smallest possible number of wagons that we can move with and take the supplies ordered is sixty, in addition to the sixth now being furnished. Fifteen days' rations will take 210 wagons; sixty rounds of ammunition per musket, 54 wagons; total supply train, 264 wagons. Of this number we now have 122; number needed, 142. I think we can move with 120 by cutting everything down as light as possible.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. J. SMITH,

Major-Chief/

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH CORPS, Near Blakely, Ala., April 12, 1865.

The major-general commanding directs that the several divisions of this corps take up the line of march to-morrow, April 13, in follow-