GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO,

Numbers 16.
Cincinnati, Ohio, March 5, 1863.

Brigadier General M. S. Hascall, U. S. Volunteers, having been assigned to the duty of arresting deserters and collecting stragglers from the Army of the Cumberland in the States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, is authorized and empowered to arrest deserters and collect stragglers found within the above-mentioned district belonging to any of the departments or armies of the United States,a nd forward them to their regiments.

All military commanders and commanders of posts of troops within the Department of the Ohio will furnish, from time to time, on the requisition of General Hascall, such force from their commands as may, in his judgment, be necessary to carry out the duties to which he is assigned.

The quartermaster's department will furnish, on the order of General Hascall, the necessary transportation for any parties he may send out in pursuit of deserters, and will also furnish him the necessary office accommodations, including fuel and stationery, at Indianapolis, Ind., on his requisition.

By command of Major-General Wright:

C. W. FOSTER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Murfreesborough, Tenn., March 6, 1863.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Commander-in-Chief, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: Yours of the 1st instant, announcing the offer of a vacant major-generally to the general in the field who first wins an important and decisive victory, is received. As an officer and a citizen, I feel degraded to see such auctioneering of honor. Have we a general who would fight for his own personal benefit, when he would not for honor and the country? He would come by his commission basely in that case, and deserve to be despised by men of honor. But are all the brave and honorable generals on an equality as to chances? If not, it is unjust to those who probably deserve most.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Major-General.

MURFREESBOROUGH, TENN.,

March 6, 1863-12 noon.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief:

Something must be done to secure convoys for our boats, or this army will be without supplies. We have gained nothing by the high river, in subsistence, for the last ten days, because our convoys are detained-only four little gunboats to do the work. If we cannot have some more help, we ought at once to have some more gunboats made.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Major-General.