NASHVILLE, TENN., February 4, 1864.

(Received 3 p. m.)

Hon E. M. STANTON:

It is important that the armament for Captain J. V. Meigs' battery of light artillery should be ordered at once, as all his men will be enlisted long before the battery can reach here. The latest decision from the Chief of Ordnance is that all arms shall pass through the hands of the colonel of the regiment, but as he is the last person to be mustered in, this decision greatly retards the arming and drilling new organizations of colored troops. I have therefore directed that the ordnance officer here, Captain Townsend, issue arms as needed by companies to the quartermasters of new regiments-quartermaster being the first officer masted in. Requirements for a colored cavalry regiment are needed. Can the Spencer arms be furnished?

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

Numbers 3.
Nashville, Tenn., February 4, 1864.

By authority of the Secretary of War, Colonel D. C. McCallum additional aide-de-camp, U. S. Army, is hereby appointed general manager of all railways in possession of the Government, or that may from time to time be taken possession of by military authority, in the Departments of the Cumberland, the Ohio, the Tennessee, and of Arkansas, with all the powers and authorities conferred and duties imposed upon and vested in John B. Anderson, as general manager of said railways, by special order of the Secretary of War, of date War Department, Louisville, Ky., October 19, 1863 (as modified by paragraph 4, General Orders, Numbers 13, from these headquarters), and will at once enter upon he discharge of the duties of general manager of railways as aforesaid.

John B. Anderson is hereby relieved from duty as general manager of said railways, and from all connection with the same, and will turn over to said Colonel McCallum all property, moneys, contracts, and papers of every kind and description belonging to Government or in any wise appertaining to or concerning said railways.

By order of Major General U. S. Grant:

T. S. BOWERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

Numbers 30.
Nashville, Tenn., February 4, 1864.

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2. Major General George Stoneman, U. S. Volunteers, having been assigned by the President to the command of the Twenty-third Army Corps, will proceed without to Knoxville, Tenn., and assume command of said corps.

* * * *

By order Major General U. S. Grant:

T. S. BOWERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.