SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEFENSES OF NEW ORLEANS, Numbers 20.
New Orleans, January 24, 1865.

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3. Th One hundred and thirtieth Illinois Volunteers are temporarily relieved from duty at Lakeport and will at once proceed to Wood's Press, in this city, and report to Colonel D. P. Grier, Seventy-seventh Illinois Volunteers.

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5. The Thirteenth Massachusetts Battery is withdrawn from the District of Carrollton, and will report to Colonel J. H. Sypher, Eleventh U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery, commanding Artillery camp of Instruction, for duty.

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By command of Brigadier-General Sherman:

FREDERICK SPEED,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEFENSES OF NEW ORLEANS,

New Orleans, January 24, 1865.

Brigadier-General CAMERON:

The following troops will take post at Bayou Goula, or its vicinity, on the 27th instant and there remain until further orders: Five companies of the Third Rhode Island Cavalry, with two field officers; five companies of the Eightieth U. S. Colored Infantry from Bonnet Caree, under Major Hatch. Colonel Sayles, Third Rhode Island Cavalry, will command, and to him Major Hatch will report on the day above named with his battalion. Special instructions will be given Colonel Sayles. The men will be supplied with ten days' rations and eighty rounds of ammunition each.

By command of Brigadier-General Sherman:

FREDERICK SPEED,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

(Copies to commanding officer at Bonnet Carre, and Colonel W. Sayles, Third Rhode Island Cavalry.)

HEADQUARTERS DEFENSES OF NEW ORLEANS,
New Orleans, January 24, 1865.

Colonel WILLARD SAYLES,

Third Rhode Island Cavalry:

(Through General Cameron.)

Brigadier-General Sherman directs me to communicate the following instructions: The object of the expedition with which you are charged is threefold - First, to clear the country between Donaldsonville and Plaquemine of the enemy and to break up their haunts; second, to insure a more through police hereafter of that region, by putting a stop to the illicit keeping and use of fire-arms and the other violations of military orders; third, to obtain and report the complete topography