stated to him that cotton has passed the pickets at or near Bayou Rouge or some other points. In view of this statement I call on you to aid me in discovering the guilty parties, and therefore request you to forward to me a statement of the time when such cotton passed the points, if possible, where it crossed, and the name of any party, soldier, officer, or citizen, in any way connected with it. On the 11th instant I addressed you a latter of similar import as this and based on your statements made in a letter to Major Hays, chief quartermaster, to which letter I have as yet received no reply. As I am not disposed to believe that you would make statements of the character attributed to you without proper knowledge upon the subject, I fully expect to be enabled through you to detect the guilty parties. I am determined, as far as I am able, to arrest every person, whether officer or soldier, under my command who may be accused, upon any evidence worthy of credit, of being guilty of illicit trading with the enemy, and I request you, not only in this but in any other case of unlawful trade with the enemy or improper evasion of our picket-line, now or hereafter arising and which may be known to you, to give me information in writing and at the same time to notify the nearest outpost officer so that if possible he may seize the cotton or arrest persons unlawfully passing our lines. Captain Prescott will hand you this, and I beg you to furnish him, at your earliest convenience, an answer to my two letters.

Yours, respectfully,

J. L. BRENT,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. CAV. FORCES, FRONT LINES, DIST. OF WEST LA.,
Near Alexandria, March 18, 1865.

Colonel I. F. HARRISON,

Commanding Harrison's Brigade:

COLONEL: You are hereby informed that on this day, in virtue of superior orders, I assume command of all the cavalry on the front lines, including therein your brigade. All your reports and papers of every kind will be forwarded to these headquarters.

Yours, respectfully,

J. L. BRENT,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS BRENT'S CAVALRY BRIGADE,
Lodi, March 18, 1865.

Captain A. O. P. PICKENS,

Commanding Outposts:

CAPTAIN: The eight bales of cotton detected in attempting an evasion of our lines will be immediately burned by you, as we have not transportation to carry it into the interior and secure it from the enemy. What steps have you taken to obey my orders "to pursue the twenty-two bales of cotton east of the Atchafalaya and burn it if found?" In addition to your pickets you will establish a patrol to pass up and down the banks of the Atchafalaya, particularly at night. Lieutenant Stafford reports that there are pirogues and skiffs on the Atchafalaya not under guard. How does this happen? Twenty-two bales of cotton