GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS, MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 1.
In the Field, Gaylesville, Ala., October 24, 1864.

I. In accordance with Special Field Order, Numbers 103, from headquarters Military DIVISION of the Mississippi, the undersigned hereby assumes command of the Cavalry Corps of the Military DIVISION of the Mississippi.

II. The commanders of DIVISIONS and detachments will immediately report the strength, locality, and condition of their commands; the number of mounted and dismounted men; of horses, serviceable and unserviceable, and the number of horses required to place their commands in an effective condition, together with such other information as will enable the major-general commanding to complete the organization contemplated.

III. The DIVISION commanders will make their arrangements to collect and send to Nashville all dismounted men, and will mount the best regiments and brigades entire remaining in the field, upon the serviceable horses in their commands, so that the organizations sent to the rear may not be broken up or separated from the officer responsible for their discipline and good order.

J. H. WILSON,

Bvt. Major General, U. S. Vols., and Chief of Cav., Mil. Div. of the Miss.

HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS, MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Gaylesville, Ala., October 24, 1864.

Major W. R. PRICE,

Asst. Insp. General, Cavalry Bureau, Washington, D. C.:

MAJOR: I inclose for the information of the Bureau a copy of the order* assigning me to duty and establishing the cavalry corps of the Military DIVISION of the Mississippi. The office of chief of cavalry to departments is abolished, for several reasons: First, they do nothing under the present system; second, all the available cavalry is to be prepared with the utmost dispatch for the field, and, THIRD, the special inspectors of the Cavalry Bureau are entirely competent, with the assistance of detailed officers, to take charge of the remount camps, and to attend to the administrative duties heretofore performed by the department chief of cavalry. Please issue the necessary instructions to the special inspector. General Johnson, as you perceive, has been left at Nashville to superintend the remount camps there, and hunt up, arms, equip, mount, and sent to the front every cavalrymen that can be found. Hatch has been ordered by telegraph to bring his DIVISION at once from WEST Tennessee and join the corps in the field. Grierson is to collect the balance of the cavalry, including his own and Winslow's DIVISION, put it into the best possible condition, and hold himself in readiness to join the corps in the field, moving through Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, by a route to be designated hereafter.o be assembled at Nashville, mounted equipped, and temporarily organized, under the command of General Upton, or some other competent officer, and to join us as soon as possible. Two brigades are to be left in Middle Tennessee, besides all of the Tennessee cavalry (not on the returns of the DIVISION), and about one good regiment in East Tennessee. I have not yet determined what organization to make of the Tennessee cavalry, but I think of putting some good officer in command of the whole.

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* See Special Field Order, Numbers 103, p. 414.

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