rebels, I desire to impress upon all commanders that the important points occupied by us are to be held purely as military positions, to be defended to the last extremity, and that all interests are to be subordinate to the consideration of holding these points and maintaining the control of the Mississippi River. If any of the works occupied are so extensive that the condition of absolute safety cannot be secured with their present garrisons, they will be reduced in development until this condition is attained; and all commanders will anticipate the contingency of attack by putting the works under their control into the best possible condition for defense and employing all the resources of men and material that may be within their reach.

ED. R. S. CANBY,

Major-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,

Numbers 53.
New Orleans, La., February 22, 1865.

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2. The following-named medical officers are hereby assigned to duty as surgeons in charge of divisions of the Thirteenth Army Corps, and will report accordingly to Major General Gordon Granger, at Fort Gaines, Ala.: Surg. Benjamin Durham, U. S. Volunteers; Acting Staff Surg. Otis E. French, U. S. Army; Acting Staff Surg. H. W. Hart, U. S. Army.

3. Surg. Otis M. Humphrey, U. S. Volunteers, is hereby ordered to report to Major General F. J. Herron, commanding Northern Division of Louisiana, for assignment to duty as surgeon in charge of the District of Baton Rouge and Port Hudson.

4. Acting staff Surg. James Roberts, U. S. Army, is hereby ordered to report to the medical director Department of the Gulf for assignment to duty.

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10. The Seventeenth Ohio and the First Indiana Light Batteries are hereby assigned to duty with the Sixteenth Army Corps, and the commanding officers of said batteries will immediately upon the receipt of this order report to Major General A. J. Smith, commanding the corps, for orders.

11. Captain H. R. Steele, commissary of subsistence of volunteers, is hereby assigned to duty with the Separate Cavalry Brigade organized in accordance with paragraph 5, Special Orders, Numbers 39, current series, from these headquarters, and will report without delay to Brigadier General T. J. Lucas, commanding.

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

C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 22.
New Orleans, La., February 22, 1865.

The field allowance of transportation for the army will be as follows:

For the general headquarters and for the headquarters of each army corps, 3 wagons; for the headquarters of each division, 2 wagons; for