expedition. Regiments will take their baggage and camp and garrison equipage with them. The sick will be left in charge of competent surgeons, to be designated by each division. The senior surgeon left in charge will receive full instructions from these headquarters.

By order of Brigadier General A. J. Smith:

J. HOUGH,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. U. S. FORCES IN TEXAS, No. 47. March 8, 1864.

The Second Regiment Engineers, Corps d'Afrique, the First Battalion Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, and the Thirteenth Regiment, Corps d'Afrique, are temporarily organized as a provisional brigade, under the command of Colonel J. C. Cobb, Second Engineers, Corps d'Afrique. They will encamp immediately in rear of Fort Esperanza. Such companies as are occupied at work on the out-works will temporarily encamp in the neighborhood of their work.

By command of Major General N. J. T. Dana:

B. WILSON,
Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE,

On board Westmoreland, en route for Memphis, March 8, 1864.

Major General FREDERICK STEELE,

Commanding Department of Arkansas, Little Rock:

DEAR GENERAL: I wrote you in full by Colonel Woodrow. After he left I heard from Admiral Porter that his expedition had ascended Washita and at Trinity drove off a brigade, capturing the enemy's redoubts, with three rifled 32-pounders, which were brought away. At Harrisonburg they could see but one gun mounted in a fort on a distant hill, and not having any land force they set fire to the town only. Shoalness of water limited operations to 20 miles above Harrisonburg. By to-morrow General A. J. Smith with 10,000 of my men will be at the mouth of Red River, and will go up Red as far as Alexandria to meet General Banks by or before March 17.

Water in the Red is very low, and I doubt if the fleet can get over the falls or rapids there, in which event they must await a rise or go up by land alone. I think the expedition should not attempt Shreveport until the gun-boats can participate. At all events I give you the information that up to latest dates the water continued too low in Red River to admit the passage of the gun-boats above Alexandria. But in any event you should move in force as far as Arkadelphia, and thence to Shreveport or Natchitoches, according as you hear the gun-boats are above or below Alexandria. I suppose you have no trouble in getting spies to and from Alexandria. I am going to Memphis and thence around to Huntsville, to prepare for the big fight in Georgia that is sure to come off in all April or May.

With great respect, &c.,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

34 R R-VOL XXXIV, PT II