in good repair and in mounting the guns at Brashear City. He farther directs that no more guns be mounted on the Berwick side until further orders. Please inform me at once if there is an engineer or ordnance officer at your post.

Very respectfully,

OLIVER MATTHEWS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

DONALDSONVILLE, August 17, 1864. (Received 7.45 p. m.)

Major GEORGE B. DRAKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

I have had for the last two days a squadron of cavalry scouting in the rear of Bayou Goula. They could find no enemy. All quiet at Plaquemine. Nothing new here.

W. O. FISKE,

Colonel, Commanding.

MORGANZA, August 17, 1864.

Major CHRISTENSEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

Have had interview with Captain Speed. He does not credit the reports about crossing. He came down from Fort Adams on Monday. Will go up to-night. Says his boats patrol the river from sundown to sunrise every night.

J. J. REYNOLDS,

Major-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS, U. S. FORCES, Numbers 38.
Morganza, La., August 17, 1864.

* * * *

II. The Twenty-fourth Indiana Veterans, Colonel Spicely,is temporarily assigned to the Provisional Division, Colonel J. R. Slack commanding, the One hundred and sixty-firs New York Volunteers Colonel Kinsey, to Brigadier General E. S. Dennis' command.

By command of Brigadier General M. K. Lawler:

B. WILSON,
Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN ARKANSAS, Helena, Ark., August 17, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel W. D. GREEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of Arkansas:

COLONEL: The communication addressed by Major-General Steele to Brigadier-General Burford, and dated the 8th instant, was duly received, but General Buford being absent on leave the letter was opened by me. The almost total lack of cavalry and horses, coupled with the wretched sanitary condition of the command, has precluded the possibility of any movement on my part co-operative with that of General West, and