to work well. The officers of the Commissary and Quartermaster's Bureau are intended to be directly responsible to the respective heads, but at the same time they are always to be subject to the inspection of the commander of the department and to any call for information or returns, and may be required, as they ought to do, to give information of the depots and accumulations, so that proper provision may, in case of necessity, be made for the defense or removal of supplies. Most of the difficulties which, I think, are suggested by you must have resulted from some omission or irregularities in the conduct of the officers. They certainly should have made reports, and may be called on for such to you whenever you deem it important for their points of depot and the amountof accumulated supplies, and I should be pleased at all times to receive from you any suggestions as to the difficulties existing under the present arrangements and the best mode of remedying them. I trust, however, that reflection will induce you to concur in the superiority of the general plan and that you will address yourself to making it as regular and efficient in its execution as possible.

Very respectfully,

JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

[32.]

ATLANTA, March 15, 1864.

General MACKALL,

Chief of Staff, Dalton:

General Johnston and staff leave to-day at 8 o'clock for Dalton.

BENJ. S. EWELL,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[32.]

HEADQUARTERS LEE'S CAVALRY DEPARTMENT,
Canton, Miss., March 15, 1864-10.50 a. m.

Brigadier General W. H. JACKSON,

Commanding Division:

GENERAL: General Lee directs that you will move your command early to-morrow morning by the most direct road from the position now occupied to Macon, Miss.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM ELLIOTT,

Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General.

[32.]

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. JACKSON'S CAVALRY DIVISION, Numbers 5.
Canton, Miss., March 15, 1864.

The brigadier-general commanding tenders his thanks and gratulations to the troops under his command for the part enacted by them in the recent operations in the State of Mississippi. The uncomplaining fortitude both in the hour of danger and on the fatiguing march, the dauntless courage and prompt obedience to orders which was evinced by both officers andmen, is gratifying in the highest degree, and is but in keeping with their previous history, furnishing the strongest reasons for the hope he expresses, that they will do likewise on the march now in contemplation. He especially desires to record his unbounded admiration of the successful defense of the Yazoo River by