Today in History:

1140 Series I Volume XLVIII-II Serial 102 - Powder River Expedition Part II

Page 1140 Chapter LX. LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, Numbers 20. Clarksville, Tex., July 31, 1865.

The command will be in readiness to move out of camp in the direction of Brownsville, Text., at 4 a. m. on the 2nd proximo. The men will carry there day's rations in haversacks, and the regimental wagons will carry three day's forage for the animals. The following will be the order of the march: First, pioneer corps; second, Twenty-seventh Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers; third, Seventy-seventh Ohio Infantry Volunteers; fourth, Thirty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers; fifth, Twenty-sixth New Your Volunteers; seventh, Twenty-eighth Illinois Infantry Volunteers; eight, Seventh Vermont Veteran Volunteers; ninth, train.

By order of Brigadier Ben. James R. Slack:

P. MULHOLLAND,

Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.


HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, TWENTY-FIFTH ARMY CORPS,
Ringgold Barracks, Tex., July 31, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel D. D. WHEELER,

Asst. Adjt. General, Hdqrs. 25th Army Corps, Brownsville, Tex.:

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the transfer of my division from City Point, Va., to Texas: On the 25th of May, according to orders from corps headquarters, the troops marched from Camp Lincoln and embarked at City Point, some on ocean steamers and some on river boats, and proceeded to Hampton Roads, where the troops on steam (river) boats were transferred to ocean steamers waiting at that point to receive them. The 26th, 27th, 28th, 28th, and 30th days of May were spent in coaling, repairing, watering, in having the officer of the command paid at Norfolk, Va., pursuant to orders, and in putting to sea as fast as the several ships were ready to sail. On the 31st of May the steamship Illinois, the last of the ships carrying troops and having the headquarters of the division on board, sailed. All of the ships had orders to rendezvous in Mobile Bay. The whole division arrived safely at the point of rendezvous, without accident or particular incident, between the 6th and 9th days of June, and according to instructions, I had the troops landed and the vessels coaled and thoroughly cleaned. The process of coaling was an exceedingly difficult one, as all the ships had to receive their coal from one vessel. Pursuant to instructions from Major-General Sheridan, transmitted through Major-General Granger, dated headquarters U. s. Forces, Fort. Morgan, Ala., June 8, 1865, the First Brigade was directed to proceed to Indianola, Tex., and garrison it, and the Second and Third Brigades to Brazos Santiago, Tex., the Third Brigade to be stationed there, and the Second Brigade, as soon as a lighter could be procured, to go to Corpus Christi, land and occupy it. I was ordered to report by the instructions referred to above to Major-General Steele at Brazos. So many of the vessels as required it were ordered to the Mississippi to take in water, and to use dispatch in doing so. One of the vessels, the Thetis, carrying animals, being in instant need of water, was directed to proceed immediately to the Mississippi for it. She required coal also, but could not be allowed time enough to take it in at Mobile Bay on account of the necessity for procuring an early supply of water. She was therefore ordered to New Orleans for it as the shortest and quickest way.


Page 1140 Chapter LX. LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI.