HEADQUARTERS BRENT'S CAVALRY BRIGADE,
Lodi Plantation, March 29, 1865.

Captain L. D PRESCOTT,

Commanding, &c.:

CAPTAIN: The question of corn is one worthy of your gravest attention. The heavy drains on and the short crops in the Red River Valley admonish us that but little assistance can be rendered you from that source. This question is not to be considered alone in its relation to forage, but as regards food itself, and this latter aspect is to be the controlling one. You must take immediate steps to inform yourself if there be a sufficient amount of corn on hand to feed inform yourself if there be a sufficient amount of corn on hand to feed your troops and the people of your parish, and if there be a surplus on hand that and that alone must be devoted to forage purposes. We must frankly meet the necessities of our situation, and if necessary our horses must be put on grass, in order that the people and troops may not suffer for food. We are now on grass here, and the grass is not as good and nutritious as with you. The horses of the couriers must have preference over other horses, and you are instructed to give them that preference so far as to issue them small rations, not exceeding six pounds. The horses at your main camp must be grazed, and when not worked no moire than a few ears, not exceeding three pounds, be given them per day. When detachments are sent out a preference should be given them. Colonel Bringier has already reduced his Regiment to three pounds, and will probably, under instructions until further orders, and you will forward me as soon as practicable your report, showing whether, in your opinion, there be a sufficiently of corn for food, and what surplus, if any, can be devoted to forage. you must, by your personal influence and through your officers and men, stimulate the production of corn in every possible way, and where planters do not cultivate their proper breadth of corn crops you must admonish them and in addition report them to me. As before insssistance will be rendered the planters, and when their negroes are refractory their obedience will be enforced by you by details. The power of granting passes for four days is conferred on you, to be used only in favor of those whose presence at homes is necessary for the production of crops, and prompt return in all cases will be insisted on. A separate register or list of all four-days' passes will be kept by you, showing the name of the party to whom granted, its date, and the date of return, which register will be forwarded to these headquarters on Saturday of each week.

Yours, respectfully,

J. L. BRENT,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT, Numbers 29.
Shreveport, La., March 30, 1865.

Until further orders all negroes conscribed under the act of Congress approved February 17, 1864, will be turned over by the commandants of slave labor in this respective district to the following officers of the Engineer Corps: Major R. P. Rowley, chief engineer District of Texas, &c. ; Captain C. M. Randolph, chief engineer District of West Louisiana; Lieutenant H. K. Hodges, acting chief engineer District of