Sub-District, and to assume command yourself, establishing your headquarters at Brownsville.

Brigadier-General Bee has been instructed* to establish his headquarters at Goliad, Tex.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EDMUND P. TURNED,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

OFFICE OF CHIEF OF CLOTHING AND EQUIPAGE BUREAU,

MILITARY DISTRICT TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, AND ARIZ.,

Houston, October 12, 1863.

Captain TURNER, Assistant Adjutant-General, Houston:

CAPTAIN: For the information of the major-general commanding, I beg leave to report upon the organization of the bureau placed under my charge as follows;

In July last, while Major B. Bloomfield, chief quartermaster, was at San Antonio, I received, through Major E. B. Pendleton, commissary of subsistence and acting quartermaster, an order to submit to the major-general commanding (then at Galveston) an estimate for clothing material for 50,000 men for twelve months. The letter went on to say: "Your views on the subject of clothing and the supply to be relied on in this part of the country are also solicited.

My report on this is doubtless on file in your office. The result was the following order from the major-general commanding:

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF TEXAS, Numbers -.
Galveston, July 10, 1863.

I. With a view developing more fully the home resources for clothing purpose, a clothing and equipage bureau will be established to supply the wants of this district. Major E. C. Wharton, quartermaster, is placed in charge of this bureau, and will conduct its operations subject to the orders of Major B. Bloomfield, chief quartermaster. He will make the regular reports to Major B. Bloomfield, and will make estimates on him for supplies from abroad and for funds to carry on domestic manufacture.

Major Wharton will establish a principal depot in each of the sub-districts, at such points as may be most suitable, with a officer in charge of each, who will establish shops for manufacture of clothing and equipage. These officers will be assisted in their duties by others, if found necessary.

II. Mr. W. J. Mills is hereby assigned to duty as captain and acting quartermaster, subject to the approval of the President, and will report to Major E. C. Wharton, quartermaster, chief of clothing and equipage bureau, for the purpose of assisting him in the discharge of his duties.

By command of Major-General Magruder:

EDMUND P. TURNER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Receipt of the above was acknowledge to Captain Turner (yourself), and Major Bloomfield arriving soon after, I reported to him for orders. Captain Mills, assistant quartermaster, filed his bonds with you, and reported to me for duty.

A few days after, May [W. H.] Haynes, quartermaster and chief of clothing and equipage bureau, Department of Trans-Mississippi, arrived here expressly to consult with Major Bloomfield, and the major-general commanding, in order to establish a bureau of clothing and equipage in this military district, with sub-districts and officers in charge of depots

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* By dispatch of same date.

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20 R R-VOL XXVI, PT II