neer officer, who will be on the ground as early as possible after breakfast to-morrow morning and will take with them all the working tools they may have or that you can obtain in your command.

You will also detail one regiment of infantry to go on board a transport which will be designated to you by Lieutenant-Colonel Chandler, at 6 a.m. to-morrow for the purpose of going down the river in company with the gun-boat Saint Clair, to procure forage from such places on the river as may be designated by the commanding officer. The regiment will take with it two wagons and two days' rations. The commanding officer will be expected to report himself in readiness to the commanding officer of the Saint Clair promptly at 6 o'clock, or to Admiral Porter for directions as to where to find the Saint Clair.

Very respectfully, I am, general, your obedient servant,

W. DWIGHT,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
Alexandria, May 4, 1864.

Brigadier-General EMORY,

Commanding Nineteenth Army Corps:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs that you send two regiments of infantry, under a good officer, to drive in the enemy's pickets between the Bayou Rapides and Red River, at daylight to-morrow morning. The object of this movement is to enable us to advance our cavalry pickets on a line with the pickets of the Thirteenth Army Corps or to the narrowest point between Red River and Bayou Rapides. General Arnold has been directed to advance his pickets and informed of the purport of the instructions given you. You will take the two regiments from Sharpe's brigade of Grover's division.

Very respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

W. DWIGHT,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.

The movement to be prompt and firm; the enemy is not in force on that front.

MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON, FLAG-SHIP CRICKETT,

Off Alexandria, La., May 4, 1864.

Brigadier General A. J. SMITH,

Commanding Detach., 16th and 17th Army Corps, Alexandria, La.:

GENERAL: I have been so engaged during my return to this place that I have not had the time to express to you the high appreciation I have of the services of that excellent and gallant officer, Brigadier General Thomas Kilby Smith,who with a detachment of 2,000 men accompanied the transports in the expedition to Springfield Landing. In that expedition we accomplished, under the most difficult circumstances, all that was required of us, and with a preserving enemy opposing us at almost every bend in the river, returned of Grand Ecore, very much against our will, without the loss of a particle of the material of war with which we started.

I cannot speak in too high praise of the manner in which General Smith managed his part of the expedition, doing everything in his