shall be sent without unnecessary delay to this department, and that the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry shall be immediately mounted and forwarded to New Orleans.

Very respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

N. P. BANKS,

Major-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, No. 59. New Orleans, La., March 8, 1864.

* * * * * * *

12. Brigadier General A. L. Lee, chief of cavalry, will proceed without delay to Franklin, La., and assume command of the Cavalry Division. He will report accordingly to Major General W. B. Franklin, commanding the forces in Western Louisiana.

* * * * * * *

14. Brigadier General B. S. Roberts, U. S. Volunteers, having reported at these headquarters in compliance with Special Orders, No. 70, current series, War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, is assigned to duty in the Defenses of New Orleans, and will report to Major-General Reynolds for instructions.

By command of Major-General Banks:

RICHD. B. IRWIN,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS,

Baton Rouge, La., March 8, 1864-6 p.m.

Brigadier General C. P. STONE,

Chief of Staff, New Orleans, La.:

This morning a scout of 30 Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry were ambushed 5 miles out. Lieutenant Williams was killed and 1 badly wounded. Re-enforcements drove the enemy, killing 3, known, and taking 2 prisoners.

P. ST. GEO. COOKE,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding.

SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS,
HDQRS. RED RIVER EXPEDITION, No. 2. Vicksburg, Miss., March 8, 1864.

Commanding officers of divisions and brigades designated to compose the Red River expedition from the Sixteenth Army Corps will with all possible dispatch proceed to organize and equip their commands for service in the following manner: The allowance of land transportation will be two 6-mule wagons and two ambulances for each regiment, one for each battery, and one for each division and brigade headquarters.

All wagons in excess of the above allowances will be turned in to Lieutenant J. S. Foulkes, acting assistant adjutant quartermaster, Third Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, and parked on the flat south of the city to await transportation north. The teamsters now in charge of the wagons so turned over will remain with them until the return of the