SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. 1ST Brigadier, 1ST DIV., 7TH A. C.

Numbers 53.
Little Rock, Ark., December 14, 1864.

The Twenty-eight Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, having been relieved from duty at Pine Bluff, Ark., and joined the brigade, in obedience to Special Orders, Numbers 269, Department of Arkansas, of date November 1, 1864, will proceed at once to prepare winter quarters, as provided in General Orders, Numbers 57, headquarters First Division, Seventh Army Corps, of date October 3, 1864.

By order of Colonel C. H. Mackey, colonel Thirty-third Iowa Volunteer Infantry, commanding First Brigade, First Division, Seventh Army Corps:

A. S. KENDRICK,
First Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. 4TH Brigadier, RESERVE CORPS, MIL. DIV. OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 1.
Devall's Bluff, Ark., December 14, 1864.

I. The following extract from Special Orders, Numbers 205, from headquarters Military Division of West Mississippi, is hereby published for the information of the command:

The following organization of the Reserve of the Military Division of West Mississippi is hereby announced:

Fourth Brigade, Colonel W. McE. Dye, commanding: Thirty-seventh Illinois Volunteers, Twentieth Iowa Cavalry, Twenty-third Iowa Volunteers, One hundred and sixty-first New York Volunteers, Ninety-sixth Ohio Volunteers, Thirty-fifth Wisconsin Volunteers.

II. In pursuance of the foregoing extract the designation of this organization is hereby changed from First Brigade, Third Division, Nineteenth Army Corps, to Fourth Brigade, Reserve Corps, Military Division of West Mississippi, and the undersigned, being the senior officer present, assumes command of the same.

CHARLES BLACK,

Colonel Thirty-seventh Illinois Infantry.

Report of Inspection of the Defenses of Memphis, Tenn., December 14, 1864.

Major-General CANBY,

Commanding Military Division of West Mississippi, New Orleans, La.:

Fort Pickering.-The only work at this position that is completed, or so nearly so as to be in condition to make a tolerably good defenses, is Fort Pickering, located on the margin of the Mississippi River, partially within the lower suburbs of the city. It is, indeed, at the present time the only means of defenses provided on land for the security of the position. The defense of Fort Pickering, however successful and efficient it might be, would not guarantee the safety of the city of Memphis at all, although the fort is within easy and effective range of nearly every part of it. The object of the fort, judging from its location, seems to have been to afford security to the depots located within it against a sudden attack in considerable force by land. This it would doubtless fully accomplish against any attempt not in sufficient force to drive all the troops available for the defense of the position within the city and fort, or under the protection of its guns, in which case the enemy