with Port Hudson, and to other wounded men to whom they may be acceptable. Especial interest is felt in the case of a wounded prisoner belonging to the Fourth Wisconsin Volunteers, who received a shot through the thing. Will you please order to his use such of the accompanying stores as his case may require?

I acknowledge with satisfaction the attention and kindness which my wounded men have received at the hands of the surgeons of your command.

I have the honor to be, with respect, &c.,

N. P. BANKS,

Major-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE GULF, 19TH A. C., Numbers 159.
Before Port Hudson, July 3, 1863.

Hereafter during the operations before Port Hudson there will be detailed daily one brigade commander to act as general of the trenches. He will be relieved at 12 m. daily, and will, before withdrawing from the trenches, turn over to the new general of the trenches the orders and instructions which have been given to him relative to the works.

The duties of the general of the trenches will be to superintend the operations, to dispose the guards of the trenches, to repulse sorties, and protect the works; to take command of the guards of the trenches in repelling sorties, to see that the details of guards of the trenches and of the working parties will be under the command and direction of the general of the trenches.

The character of the works to be constructed, their direction, and the manner of constructing them, will be indicated by the chief engineer, and the works will be laid out his assistant, under his directions. The chief engineer will see that the general of the trenches is furnished with all information concerning the troops necessary to enable him to perform his duties understandingly. The tour of duty for the general of the trenches will be twenty-four hours, during which he will not be of absent from the trenches, except in case such absence shall be absolutely necessary in the performance of his duties; and he shall make such arrangements as to enable any officer connected with the works to readily find him at any hour.

The general of the trenches the chief engineer will each make a written report to these headquarters at 9 a. m. of the day following the one of which the report is made. The report of the chief engineer will show the progress made for the day, and what is proposed to be done during the day on which the report is sent in, accompanying his report with the necessary drawings. The general of the trenches will, in his report, state the nature of the operations during his tour, remarkable occurrences, the progress made on each part of the work, stating the number of feet in length by which the saps are advanced under each officer in charge of a working party, and such suggestions as my occur to him. A record will be kept by the general of the trenches, showing the progress made by each officer in charge of a working party, to be turned over successively to the new general of the trenches, and to be made known to the officers in charge of working parties. The assistant adjutant-general at these headquarters will see that the working parties