mand. I request that you will the negroes who many come in or be gathered in by your forces to this place, where they can the more readily be organized and provided for. If you desire to form regiments with your army do so, and send me the roster of the officers appointed. I have seen your recent order respecting the enlistment of negroes, the practical working of which it seems to me will almost altogether stop recruiting with your army. I know not under what circumstances it was issued, but the imprisonment of officers for disobedience seems to me a harsh measure. Would it not be better to organize the negroes, and from them make the necessary details for the staff departments? Of course I don't with to deprive you of any negroes you may require for service with your army, and have sent a copy of the order to the Secretary of War. I leave for Chattanooga this evening, where I shall be glad to hear from you.

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General U. S. Army.

Report of the effective force of the Fifteenth Corps, Department and Army of the Tennessee, for June 20, 1864.

Station. Command. Offic Men. Aggreg

ers. ate.

Near Big Shanty, First Division, 239 3.565 3.804

Ga. Brigadier General

P. J. Osterhaus.

Second Division, 235 3.976 4.211

Brigadier General

M. L. Smith.

Fourth Division, 257 5.026 5.283

Brigadier General

W. Harrow.

Total present in the 731 12.567 13.298

field.

Huntsville, Ala. Third division, 278 4.801 5.079

a. Brigadier General

John E. Smith.

Grand total. 1.009 17.368 18.377

a June 10.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS.

SPECIAL
HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION FIELD ORDERS,
OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 27.
In the Field, Big Shanty, Ga., June 20, 1864.

I. General McPherson will call forward from Huntsville the division of John E. Smith, to report to General Steedman and to be posted at Kingston and along the railroad. He will also dispatch the First Alabama Cavalry to Rome, to scout across toward Guntersville and Gadsden, subject to the orders of the post and district commanders.

II. General Thomas will furnish General Steedman a detail of 1,000 men, to be organized as train guard, and as soon as John E. Smith reaches Kingston he may relieve the detachments now there.

III. There is abundance of fine forage and grass in the valleys of the Etowah and Oostenaula, and army commanders will collect all the stock, horses, mules, &c., that are useless to this army and a tax on its forage, and send them to one or other of the detachments guarding the railroad. No forage should be issued to horses at the front, unless they are good artillery and cavalry horses, or the horses of officers whose duties require them to be mounted. The special attention of quartermasters and inspectors-general is called to this subject.

By order of Major General W. T. Sherman:

L. M. DAYTON,
Aide-de-Camp.