corps staff and of my personal staff, or so many of them as you may desire, will be pleased to assist you in the discharge of staff and other duty, and are accordingly instructed to report to you, temporarily, for that purpose.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN A. McCLERNAND,

Major-General.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DETACH.13TH ARMY CORPS, No. 1. Middle Bayou, La., May 10, 1864.

I. In accordance with orders from headquarters Thirteenth Army Corps the undersigned hereby assumes command of the detachment of the Thirteenth Army Corps in the field.

M. K. LAWLER,

Brigadier-General.

ALEXANDRIA, LA., May 10, 1864.

Brigadier-General DWIGHT,

Chief of Staff, Department of the Gulf:

SIR: In pursuance of your directions of May 8, 1864, requiring me to act as commanding officer of the outpost for the twenty-four hours commencing at 9 a.m. May 9, 1864, and ending at 9 a.m. May 10, 1864, I have the honor to report that during that time I visited the outposts of the U. S.forces at this point, and found them well arranged, with one exception, and the men on duty attentive to their instructions.

The following is the course of a complete chain of cavalry pickets, viz: Commencing at a point on the south bank of Red Rive, about 6 miles above town, and running thence to a point on Bayou Rapides, Bayou Robert, about 5 miles from town; thence along Bayou Robert to a point on the Opelousas road, about 5 miles from town; thence in a northerly direction along a road to point on the bank of the Red River, about 8 miles below town. An infantry picket of about 150 men is posted just in rear of the cavalry from Bayou Rapides to Bayou Robert, and thence to the Opelousas road. This last line, from Bayour Robert to the Opelousas road, is almost at right angles with the cavalry line. It is about 2 miles long, and being so scattered affords but little support to the advance line. They have been on duty there four or five days, and are separated from their command, the Fourth Division, Thirteenth Army Corps.

With the exception of a slight demonstration by the enemy on the line north of the Opelousas road and near the river, all was quiet.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

F. W. MOORE,

Colonel, Commanding First Brigadier, Fourth Div., 13th Army Corps.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, Alexandria, May 10, 1864.

Brigadier General W. H. EMORY,

Commanding Nineteenth Army Corps:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs that you move General Grover's division before 2 o'clock to-night to a point 5 miles