Today in History:

743 Series I Volume XLIX-I Serial 103 - Mobile Bay Campaign Part I

Page 743 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.

same to this office. You will in your inspection embrace the following subject, and give the necessary orders for correcting any neglected or violation of regulation or orders relative to your arm of the service. You will be herd responsible to the department commander for any failure on your part. Guns and carriages: whether in good or firing condition, requiring paint or repairs, protected from the weather by paulins or pent-house; whether General Orders, Numbers 42, War Department, February 2, 1865, relative to the preservation of field-works, guns, &c., is observed sand obeyed. Harness: whether oiled, kept in repair, and well protected from the weather. Animals, horses, and mules: condition, how often groomed, whether superintended and inspected by a commissioned officer. Condition of stables: quality and quantity of forage. All animals must be protected by good stables and a picket-rope to be placed in vicinity of stables, where horses shall always be groomed, except in stormy weather. Condition of transportation and how much. Clothing: whether well supplies and quality thereof. Quarters: kind of, and condition, whether properly policed. Where timber cannot be obtained or barracks construct, log huts much be built of a uniform side and properly located. Messing: how, whether by company, section, or otherwise. Condition of kitchen and cooking utensils: whether clean or not. Kitchens should be sufficiently large to give room for storing provisions. Magazines: whether completed and well ventilated and aired when weather permits. Ammunition: quantity on hand, whether sufficient for a siege; condition, serviceable or not, whether the different kinds, as established in orders from headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi, are kept on hand. Personal armament: all companies of artillery, dismounted, will be armed with muskets; condition and drill. Company records: whether they are properly kept and up to date, such as descriptive book, clothing book, company-fund book, ordnance returns, and everything relating to a full and complete history of the company; whether returns, &c., are furnished as prescribed by regulations and orders, which will be shown by the books and retained copies of the reports, &c. Instruction: how often drilled daily and whether properly instructed; whether officers and non-commissioned officers are intelligent, attentive to their duties, sober, and well informed and know the distance of prominent points in view and range of the works; what kind of ammunition on hand and when to use it. Officers' horses: whether private or public. The latter prohibited by department orders to companies drawing light-artillery pay. Chiefs of artillery of posts: whether they attend to their duties very pay. Chiefs of artillery of posts: whether they are obeyed, and giving the necessary orders for supplies of all kinds when required. They shall make weekly inspections. In your first inspection you will state whether all companies dismounted are armed with muskets, after which you will report only on condition and instruction.

JOHN M. BRANNAN,

Chief of Artillery, Department of the Cumberland.

CAVALRY BUREAU, OFFICE OF SPECIAL INSPECTOR, MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

Louisville, Ky., February 19, 1865.

Major-General WILSON,

Cavalry Corps, Military Division of the Mississippi:

DEAR GENERAL: I sent you yesterday some dispatches and an order from Major-General Thomas. No horses were received by me for over


Page 743 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.