HEADQUARTERS U. S. COLORED FORCES,
Morganza, La., November 18, 1864.

Colonel H. N. FRISBIE,

Commanding First Brigade:

COLONEL: The general commanding U. S. forces at this point having received information that a considerable force of the enemy have crossed the Atchafalaya, you are hereby directed to hold your command in readiness for any emergency. In case of need the left wing of the Seventy-fifth U. S. Colored Infantry will garrison the fort. The right wing will act as infantry under your orders.

By command of Brigadier General Daniel Ullmann:

O. A. RICE,

Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

(Similar instructions to Colonel A. J. Edgerton, commanding Second Brigade.)

BATON ROUGE, November 18, 1864-7.15 p. m.

Major GEORGE B. DRAKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

I have not heard from General Lee. I had arranged to communicate with him via Port Hudson, and have telegraphed Major-General Hurlbut's order to Brigadier General L. Andrews, to be forwarded at once to General Lee.

W. P. BENTON,

Brigadier-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
New Orleans, La., November 18, 1864.

Major General J. J. REYNOLDS,

Commanding Nineteenth Army Corps, Mouth of White River, Ark.:

GENERAL: I am directed by the major-general commanding to transmit, herewith inclosed, copies of dispatches dated 7th instant:* (1) from the Adjutant-General of the Army; (2) from the Headquarters of the Army; (3) from Major-General Sherman. The necessary orders in relation to inclose Numbers 1 will be issued from these headquarters in a few days. In regard to your troops in Arkansas, the commanding general desires that you be withdrawn from there at the earliest possible moment consistent with the safety of General Steele's line of communication, and be held on the Mississippi River, ready to be moved either way, as soon as Beauregard's ultimate intentions are sufficiently developed. If he fails in his plans toward East Tennessee he may turn on Memphis and other posts on the river, and the order given yesterday for your troops to be returned to Morganza is therefore revoked for the present. Cavalry raids will be made from the posts on the eastern bank of the river simultaneously, and that from Baton Rouge will be led by General Davidson in person. The general's health is steadily improving, and he is attending personally to all important business.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

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*See pp. 463, 464.

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