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1014 Series I Volume XLI-IV Serial 86 - Price's Missouri Expedition Part IV

Page 1014 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.

commanding officer; third, one wagon for brigade headquarters; fourth, one wagon for each brigade; fifth, one medical wagon for each division; sixth, all the ordnance wagons absolutely required; seventh, all the ambulances and carriages (except buggies, which are to be burnt) will be turned over to the division quartermaster for the use of the division quartermaster for the use of the division surgeon, to be used only for conveying the sick and wounded; eighth, all the serviceable stock to be retained by the division and brigade quartermasters for use as may be required; ninth, no enlisted man under any circumstances to have a led horse. No white man between the ages of seventeen and fifty to be used by officers for this or any other purpose beyond his military duty.

III. Private families traveling with the army will be allowed such spring vehicles only as are absolutely requisite for their transportation.

IV. The inspector-general and chief quartermaster will examine the train on the march and assist and carrying out this order.

By command of Major General S. Price:

L. A. MACLEAN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

ANDERSON, October 26, 1864.

Brigadier General W. R. BOGGS,

Chief of Staff:

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 12th instant, Numbers 4318, accompanied by a project for the organization of the troops in this district into an army corps. As I am invited to make suggestions thereon. I would remark that if this organization is intended, as would appear from that part of your letter where you say that it is necessary in order that the proper returns may be forwarded to Richmond, I think the organization you propose is as good as any other, but if it is intended that the troops composing the brigades and divisions shall be drawn together and actually placed under the command of the officers designated, it will involve the transportation of almost my entire command. For instance, the Sixth Infantry Brigade, according to the project, would consist of Bates' regiment, now at Velasco-mouth of Brazos; Hobby's regiment, at Bolivar Point, Galveston Island, and Spaight's and Griffin's, at Sabine Pass. Of the Seventh Texas Cavalry Brigade, five companies of Pyron's regiment are at Galveston, and five on the Rio Grande. Baird's and Benavides' regiments at Brownsville and Anderson's regiment at Hempstead. Of the Eighth Cavalry Brigade, Brown's and Bourland's regiments are in the Northern Sub-District, Bradford's on Galveston Island, and McCord's at Hempstead. General Hawes' infantry brigade is the only brigade now widely scattered. To withdraw the troops from points now occupied in order to make the changes necessary to carry into effect the proposed organization would involve great expense, and while the changes are in progress would leave important points undefended. And even after the changes are effected and the different commands placed under their appropriate chiefs the exigencies of the moment might at any time require a redistribution of the commands substantially as at present. It is a difficult task, at least with the small force under my command, to guard against surprise at some of the many assailable points along a coast of hundreds of miles, and my chief hope is in leaving forces at the principal points as at present, and in case of threatened attack to withdraw troops from other points, and by means


Page 1014 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.