HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NEW ORLEANS,
New Orleans, August 25, 1864.

Brigadier General R. A. CAMERON,

Commanding District of La Fourche:

GENERAL: The general commanding directs that the officer in command at Bayou Boeuf be required to establish a guard near Lake Palourde, on our near the bayou road, to consist of an officer and at least fifteen men, whose duty it should be to observe the lake shore and all approaches to the railroad from whatever direction. The officer in command on the next post above on the railroad will be required to keep a guard on the road leading to the lake from his position at the distance of at least a mile from the railroad - a guard of a non-commissioned officer and at least nine men, both of these guards to throw out sentinels or vedettes in all proper directions to secure they own guards and the troops on the railroad from surprise. Besides these guards, a cavalry patrol, led by an officer, will be required to be made at all hours in the night.

I am, sir, respectfully,

FREDERIC SPEED,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. DISTRICT OF BATON ROUGE AND PORT HUDSON,
Clinton, La., August 25, 1864.

Brigadier-General DENNIS, Commanding Division, &c.:

Major-General Herron directs that you select a camping place for your command on Pretty Creek, where you will find good water, &c. General Herron can be found if needed at the court-house in town. He wishes you to strongly picket the road in your rear toward Port Hudson, as we cannot.

I am, very respectfully,

WM. HYDE CLARK,

Chief of Staff.

OFFICE PROVOST-MARSHAL,

Vicksburg, Miss., August 25, 1864.

J. D. Richey, Joseph Alexander, and W. G. Martin, Company I, Nineteenth Texas Cavalry (deserters), being duly sworn, depose and days: That Polignac's command, consisting of his own and Walker's divisions and Wharton's cavalry, was on the Ouachita River on Friday, the 19th instant. On this day the greater part of the cavalry crossed Tensas Bayou. An order was issued for Walker's and Polignac's divisions to cross the Mississippi River into Mississippi. They have about fifty boats capable of bearing up thirty men each. Parsons' brigade of Texas cavalry (numbering about 1800 men) is three of four miles from Waterproof. Polignac's command does not exceed 15,000, and probably not so many, but it forms the largest part of Kirby Smith's army. General Dick Taylor is in command of the army in Louisiana.

J. D. RICHEY.

W. G. MARTIN.

JOSEPH ALEXANDER.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 25th day of August, 1864.

J. S. CURTISS,

Captain, Seventy-second Illinois, Provost-Marshal.

54 R R - VOL XLI, PT II