The above letter of General Totten was written on April 7, 1865, Colonel Holabird, chief quartermaster, Department of the Gulf, received information from Brigadier -General Elkin, Washington, D. C., dated March 16, 1865, that the assistant quartermaster at Saint Louis had been directed to invoice and forward to Lieutenant I. N. Mitchell, acting assistant quartermaster, artillery corps, Department of the Gulf, 600 horses for the use of the artillery of this department, but as yet nothing has been heard from or of the horses. There are now fifty-horses in the artillery stables in this department fit for issue, but under the existing orders from military division headquarters none can be issued to this department. The Second Vermont and Twelfth Massachusetts Batteries, at Port Hudson; the Thirteenth Wisconsin Battery, at Baton Rouge; the Sixth Massachusetts Battery, at New Orleans; the Twenty-fifth New York Battery, at Brashear, have so few horses that it is impossible for them to drill with any satisfactory results in battery maneuvers, and they have too many to ignore such drill altogether. Of the heavy artillery in the Department of the Gulf I will respectfully state that there are but five companies, viz, Battery G, First Indiana Heavy Artillery at Morganza; Batteries D, E, and F, first Indiana Heavy Artillery, at Baton Rouge, La., and Battery D, First Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, at Brashear City, which report at this office. The various regiments, batteries, and detachments of U. S. colored heavy artillery in this department have never reported to this office since I have been connected with it, and they have not been required to do so. It will be observed by the statement* of heavy artillery accompanying this that none of the heavy artillery is supplied with horses except one battery (E), First Indiana, which has but four, and only one battery (G), First Indiana, with mules for transportation. The latter has the necessary artillery harness, but no animals to work in it. The twelve mules reported are used in the wagons.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

DANIEL WEBSTER,

Captain First Wisconsin Batty., Actg. Chief of Arty., Det. of the Gulf.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. SOUTHERN DIV. OF LOUISIANA, Numbers 139.
New Orleans, April 25, 1865.

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2. The battalion of the Eleventh U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery now at Fort Jackson will take post as soon as practicable at Brashear. The company of the Tenth U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery now at Battery Saint John and Bayou Gentilly will proceed to Fort Jackson and be reported to the commanding officer of its regiment. The six companies officer of its regiment. The sic companies of the Tenth U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery then at that station will be judiciously distributed between the posts of Forts Jackson and Saint Philip, so as will best subserve the purposes of defenses and care of the armament. The quartermaster's department will furnish transportation as soon as practicable.

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By command of Brigadier-General Sherman:

WICKHAM HOFFMAN,
Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

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* Not found.

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