administration. The irregularities at Fort Smith have in some measure been corrected. The great difficulty results from the fact that the only inspectors that I have been able to send were comparatively young officers, and the want of power to correct abuses on the spot. I propose to send General Herron, who is familiar with that section of the country, and knows many of the officers serving on that frontier. I shall give him all the power to correct abuse that I can delegate to him. There are still a good many irregularities in the transportation of supplies from Memphis to Devall's Bluff and Little Rock, resulting in great waste of public property. This I propose to correct by putting it under the supervision of an intelligent and experienced officer of the quartermaster's department. I will instruct General Herron to extend his investigations to the route by which supplies reach Fort Smith, as many irregularities re reported on the route between Fort Leavenworth and Fort Smith, but as this extends beyond the limit of my command General Herron will be instructed to limit his investigations to their necessary connection with the service and supply of the troops in this command. Will you advise General Curtis of the nature and extent of the instructions to be given to General Herron or will you give him the authority directly from your office.

Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

E. R. S. CANBY,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
New Orleans, La., October 5,1 864.

Major General W. T. SHERMAN,

Atlanta:

Your dispatch of September 26 has just been received.* Preparations for the occupation of the Apalachicola are being made as rapidly as possible. On your first suggestion I sent tend days ago to New York for steamers suited for that service, as we have very few here that will answer. I am collecting supplies at Pensacola to meet the wants of your army if you should come in at any point on the Gulf.

E. R. S. CANBY,

Major-General.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, Numbers 146.
New Orleans, October 5, 1864.

For the better regulation of the provost-marshal's department, it is ordered:

1. That proper prison reports, conforming to the guard reports required by regulations, shall be made daily by all officers of the provost-marshal's department to their immediately superiors, and forwarded to the provost-marshal-general of the department.

2. In all cases where prisoners are confined, triplicate lists of all property and valuables, papers and money, taken from them shall be made, one of which shall be delivered to such prisoner, one retained by the officer in whose custody such property is, and one forwarded direct to the provost-marshal-general. Each of these triplicates shall be countersigned by the prisoner. In case such prisoner shall be lawfully discharged, all property so listed, not contraband or lawfully ordered to be otherwise disposed of, will be returned to such prisoner.

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*See Vol. XXXIX, Part II, P. 480.

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