days past, I have received no official information of the state of affairs relative to this trade, but I learn unofficially that there are several boats under flag of truce in the Black or Ouachita Rivers from whom supplies are received and to whom cotton is delivered. I therefore respectfully request to be specifically instructed whether I am expected to enforce General Orders, Numbers 30, district headquarters, in North Louisiana, or whether the supervision and control of the cotton trade is vested in any other offer. I have not already issued any orders upon this subject, for the reason that while in charge of cavalry headquarters I received information that our relations with these flag-of-truce boats were specially controlled by superior authority.

Yours, respectfully,

J. L. BRENT,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[MARCH 22, 1865. --For Davis to Lee, in reference to obtaining troops from the Trans-Mississippi, see Vol. XLIX, Part II.]

HEADQUARTERS BRENT'S CAVALRY BRIGADE,
Lodi Plantation, March 22, 1865.

Major J. P. SMITH,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

MAJOR: I have the honor this morning to report all quiet along our entire front up to latest dates; at mouth of Red River, along the Atchafalaya and Courtableau up to 8 a. m. yesterday, 21st instant, and on the Teche and at Berwick bay at 7 p. m. 20th instant. A gunboat appeared on the 19th in Cote Blanche Bay, some twenty-five miles northwest of Franklin. She was supposed to be looking for scouts and blockaders. The water was still rising at mouth of Red River about one inch in twenty-four hours. The pickets immediately on north and south banks of river reported all quiet yesterday morning.

Respectfully, &c.,

J. L. BRENT,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

(Same to Captain J. G. Clarke, assistant adjutant-general.)

HEADQUARTERS BRENT'S CAVALRY BRIGADE,
Lodi Plantation, March 22, 1865.

Brigadier General A. P. BAGBY,

Commanding Cavalry Forces:

GENERAL: I am satisfied that the forces of the enemy concentrated recently at New Orleans have been greatly exaggerated. I merely express this to you as my opinion and not as a fact. The only troops of General Thomas' command that have reached New Orleans, as far as I know, are of A. J. Smith's Sixteenth Army Corps. This corps is composed of three divisions, commanded at the battle of Nashville by McArthur, Garrard, and Moore, respectively. Thomas had four corps in that battle. The Twenty-third (Schofield's) is now in North Carolina;

91 R R--VOL XLVIII, PT I