Military Division of West Mississippi. This organization will have the effective force fort he field which has been indicated in Your communication.

Very respectfully, Your obedient servant,

B. H. Grierson,

Brevet Major- General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY FORCES, Numbers 5.
MIL. DIV. OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, New Orleans, La., March 17, 1865

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II. The Second Tennessee and Ninth Indiana Cavalry will proceed without delay, under command of the ranking officer of the two regiments, to Vicksburg, Miss., reporting for duty to the commanding officer at that point. The Nineteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry will proceed without delay to Baton Rouge, La., reporting for duty to the commanding officer of the cavalry forces at that point. A sufficient number of the most efficient horses of these three regiments will be retained at this point to fully mount the balance of General Knipe's Division. Brigadier G en. Joseph F. Kniope is charged with the execution of this order. The quartermaster's department will furnish the necessary transportation for men, animals, and camp equipage.

III. The Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry will proceed without delay from Baton Rouge to Carrollton, La., reporting for duty to Colonel Joseph Karge, commanding brigade at the latter point A sufficient number of the best horses will be transferred from the One hundred and Eighteenth Illinois Mounted Infantry to the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry to fully mount that regiment. The quartermaster's department will furnish the necessary transportation.

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By order of Bvt. Major General B. H. Grierson:

S. L. WOODWARD,
Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER,

New Orleans, La., March 17, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Asst. Adjt. General, Military Division of West Mississippi:

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit to Your consideration the following report of information received atthis office this 17th day of March, 1865:

A gentleman who spent a night in the camp of Collins, the CONFEDERATE scout in Pointe Coupee Parish, saw Hutchinson, the torpedo constructor. He proposed to lay torpedoes in Red River just below Fort De Russy and at Short Bend. An attempt was made by the rebels at Tunica about ten days ago to blow up the U. S . gun- boat Ozark by stretching aline across the river one mile above her, supported by buoys to which the torpedo was attached. It was to be floated down across the bows of the Ozark, but the rope broke before it reached her and the scheme failed. The informant heard them speak of Jones, of Texas, in connection with the torpedo affairs. Mr. Bell, a scout, reports that on the 8th instant one company of the Second Louisiana Cavalry, Captain