Drayton's brigade; second, Brigadier-General Churchill's brigade; third, Brigadier-General Parsons' brigade; fourth, Brigadier-General Tappan's brigade.

II. You are hereby required to use all dispatch in sending and procuring your transportation.

III. The brigade commanders will carry with them ten days' rations. Brigade, ordnance, quartermaster's, and commissary trains will march in rear of their respective brigades.

IV. The sick will be left at the encampment occupied by General Parson's brigade, under charge of the ranking surgeon assigned to the charge of field hospital, and the division commissary will make the necessary arrangements for the rations of the sick. General Tappan will order a wagon to be left for the use of the field hospital.

V. Lieutenant-Colonel Buster's cavalry command, after making the details called for, will garrison the post of Spring Hill, taking charge, under directions of the chief commissary of the division, of all commissary stores there and the mill in the neighborhood.

VI. All leaves of absence and furloughs are hereby revoked, and all officers and men will rejoin their commands without delay.

VII. The brigades, if practicable, will alternate on each day's march, the one in rear marching in front next day.

By order of Brigadier-General Drayton:

L. A. MACLEAN,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. SOUTHWESTERN MISS. AND EAST LOUISIANA,
Camp Dick Garnett, March 20, 1864.

Captain GEORGE MOORMAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to state, for the information of the department commander, that the forces of the enemy at all points along the river have been much reduced. At New Orleans there are only four regiments of infantry and one of cavalry, and nothing but a regiment of cavalry between New Orleans and Batton Rouge, which is held by exactly the same force that is at New Orleans. At Port Hudson they have two regiments white infantry and one of cavalry, with about twelve regiments of black troops. All their available force has gone up Red River. On the 18th, the day before yesterday, about 200 Confederate prisoners arrived at Baton Rouge, captured by the enemy at our battery on Red River (Fort De Russy), which the enemy state was taken by them on the 15th [14th] instant. I can hear nothing positive as to the progress of the Yankee army west of the river.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EDWARD DILLON,

Colonel, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST LOUISIANA,
Near Carroll Jones', March 20, 1864-3 a.m.

Captain A. H. MAY,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: A large number of transports (forty-seven) are reported at Alexandria to-night. Banks expected to arrive, and the cavalry force from below reported coming into the town. It is also reported