Today in History:

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

Page 905 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.

Second Division, Thirteenth Army Corps, by order of Major-General Granger, commanding Thirteenth Army Corps, extract 4 of Special Orders, Numbers 1, from these headquarters, is hereby revoked.

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By order of Brigadier General C. C. Andrews:

GEORGE MONROE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, New Orleans, March 12, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,
Assistant Adjutant-General:

The transportation between New Orleans and Mobile Bay is wholly insufficient for the demands upon it. I find, on inquiry, that there seems to be a great want of system in the movements. Lieutenant-Colonel Sawtelle, as chief quartermaster, military division, has taken charge of the terminus at the lake, and put an officer there who reports only to him, and through whom directions are given as to what shall be taken in, and in what order. There is pressure from all sides for preference. Smith's (A. J.) troops are not all off. The cavalry is to be moved, quartermaster's and commissary stores, and the large requisition for coal. To press all these upon the limited transportation is to produce confusion. Many of the articles of supply sent for by Captain Sargent were duly issued and ordered a month since, and are now on board transports and on their way. When the forage comes to be estimated to supply the animals now there and on their way, the burden will be increased. Unless some single intelligent will controls all the questions, great suffering to men and animals will ensue. The quartermaster's depot here has been pretty nearly exhausted, and I fear that duplicate supplies will be likely to be sent, first by requisitions some time since made, and next by the same consolidated and repeated. I estimate that four good boats must leave Lakeport daily to keep up the commissary stores alone. There are positively no means adequate to sending forward the large amount of 7,000 tons of coal. A supply should be ordered at once by sea from the North. It is impossible, I fear, to furnish it from this city. On this subject I shall see Colonel Sawtelle and confer fully with him. With the heavy body of troops assembled, and especially the large proportion of animals for cavalry, artillery, and draft, immense tonnage is required to convey the bulky supplies, and of course corresponding amounts of fuel for the return trip. After the movement of troops is over the transports now in use, if no accident occurs, may possibly do the work of ordinary supplies, but scarcely more than this. I understand from Colonel Hinsdill that a very large amount of rations is still waiting transportation. Everything that can be done here by myself or any of my officers shall be done, but the lake transportation is not under our control.

Your obedient servant,

S. A. HURLBUT,

Major-General, Commanding.


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