Today in History:

1103 Series I Volume XLIX-II Serial 104 - Mobile Bay Campaign Part II

Page 1103 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.

and this office discontinued; Captain A. R. Eddy, U. S. Army, assistant quartermaster, chief quartermaster District of West Tennessee; Captain W. W. McCammon, assistant adjutant-general, acting under instructions from the major-general commanding the department (temporarily assigned), vice Captain John E. Simpson, relieved and ordered to State rendezvous for muster out; Bvt. Brigadier General E. Bouton, provost-marshal, vice Colonel George B. Hoge, relieved and ordered to state rendezvous for muster out; Major R. G. Rombauer, chief of artillery, relieved and the duties of this office discontinued; Major J. H. Carpenter, acting judge-advocate, District of West Tennessee; Major R. F. Stratton, surgeon-in-chief, District of West Tennessee; Captain Marion Campbell, assistant commissary of muster, District of West Tennessee; Captain J. J. Sears, acting ordnance officer, District of West Tennessee; First Lieutenant John W. Wright, acting assistant chief quartermaster, District of West Tennessee. Colonel R. E. Clary, department quartermast-general, is on duty at this post as depot quartermaster, assigned in orders from the War Department, and acts independently of my orders. Captain Charles S. Bowman, Fourth U. S. Cavalry, is on duty in this district as special inspector of cavalry, assigned in orders from the War Department, and acts independently of my orders.

The health of the troops of this command is good; their discipline well sustained and efficient. I would, however, respectfully suggest that for the more perfect maintenance of health and discipline among the colored troops occasional changes of station of troops of that class between different and remote points within the department be ordered. Their transit across the country would be attended with little or no increased expenditure by the Government and would remove the causes of certain serious evils which necessarily attend their long establishment at the same adjacent posts. I would invite the attention of the major-general commanding the department tot he fact that during the month of April last the troops of this command were paid to February 28, 1865, since which time they have not received pay, while the One hundred and fifty-second, One hundred and fifty-third, and One hundred and fifty-sixth Regiments Illinois Infantry have never yet been paid, and would respectfully suggest that measures be taken at as early a day as practicable to effect the payment of the troops he. The Freedmen's Department, under the energetic management of the assistant commissioner, Brigadier-General Tillson, is being rapidly organized, and I have no doubt if General Tillson is continued in charge of the work of that bureau at this point that he will have it so perfected in the course of a few months that it will work harmoniously and to the mutual advantage of planters and freedmen.

The political organization of the various counties within this district is yet in some instances incomplete, though rapid progress has been made during the last few weeks. So far as my own information extends, civil officers have been appointed in nearly all the counties within the territory embraced within my command, some of whom have not entered upon the discharge of their official duties, and of whom a few, perhaps, will not do so. It is hoped that when the new appointees have fully entered upon the discharge of their duties, the machinery of civil government will soon be in efficient working condition, both as regards county legislation and the administration of justice by the magistrates and the courts of law. The recent elections were quietly conducted, no disturbance having been reported to these headquarters. The vote was necessarily light, owing to the restrictions of the franchise law enacted at the late session of the State Legislature, and in a


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