MEMPHIS, May 28, 1865.

Brigadier General WILLIAM D. WHIPPLE,

Chief of Staff:

Bvt. Major General John E. Smith has reported here for duty under Special Orders, Numbers 201, extract 4, Adjutant-General's Office, Washington, and will assume command to-morrow. Please hurry up the acceptance of my resignation.

C. C. WASHBURN,

Major-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 144.
New Orleans, La., May 28, 1865.

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6. The construction of field fortifications for the defense of the U. S. landings and property at Mobile will be continued under direction of Lieutenant Colonel J. C. Palfrey, assistant inspector-general and chief engineer, Thirteenth Army Corps. The engineer officer now in charge will transmit to him all the instructions he has received relating to said fortifications.

7. The Engineer Brigade of this army is hereby discontinued. The Ninety-sixth and Ninety-seventy U. S. Colored Infantry are, until otherwise ordered, attached to the command of Major General Gordon Granger, and, will in regard to work on fortifications at Mobile, receive instructions from the chief engineer of the Thirteenth Army Corps.

8. Captain J. J. Smith, commanding Pontonier Company, will store all the bridge equipage at Mobile Bay for which he is responsible in one of the cotton presses (the one not occupied by engineer employes) assigned to the engineer department in the city of Mobile. He will also move his company to Mobile and encamp it at some available point convenient to said cotton press. The quartermaster's department will furnish the necessary transportation.

9. All the bridge equipage at Pensacola Bay will be transferred to Captain J. B. Dexter, assistant quartermaster for engineer department, Department of the Gulf, and shipped to him at New Orleans, under direction of Captain E. H. Newton, in charge of Barrancas. The quartermaster's department will furnish the necessary transportation.

10. Major W. S. Long, Ninety-sixth U. S. Colored Infantry, will report without delay to the chief engineer of this division for orders.

11. The commanding officer of the Pontonier Company will make his reports to the chief engineer Department of the Gulf.

12. Bvt. Captain C. J. Allen, of Engineers is hereby relieved from his present duty and will without delay report to Major-General Steele for assignment as chief engineer of his command.

By order of Major General E. R. S. Canby:

C. H. DYER,
Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS ARMY AND DIVISION,
OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 76.
Mobile, Ala., May 28, 1865

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2. Under instructions from the Secretary of War the cotton captured in the city of Mobile and now under the control of the chief quarter-