HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, March 17, 1864.

Brigadier General C. GROVER,

Thibodeaux:

SIR: The answer to yours of this p. m. will depend upon the amount of river transportation procurable, and will be given early to-morrow.

RICHD. B. IRWIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. 3rd DIV., 13TH ARMY CORPS, Numbers 16.
Camp Pratt, La., March 17, 1864.

This command will move to-morrow morning for Vermillion Bayou in the order previously indicate, First Brigade in front, at 6.30 o'clock. Reveille will be sounded as early as 5 o'clock, when the pickets will be relieved. The Second Brigade will furnish a regiment to march in the rear of Lieutenant Scott's supply train, which follows the division train.

By order of Brigadier-General Cameron:

OSCAR MOHR,

Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Pass Cavallo, Tex., March 17, 1864.

Major-General DANA:

It is desirable that the work upon the defenses in course of construction on this island should be pushed forward with all possible dispatch until the latter are completed. You will report tri-weekly of the strength of the details employed in such work and of the progressive advancement of the same.

By command of Major General John A. McClernand:

SAMUEL CALDWELL,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Indorsement.]

Send copy to Colonel Cobb and order him to report what force he will work on the second line to-morrow and next day, and direct him to report punctually on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, before 8 a. m., the progress of the work for two days previous.

D.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Pass Cavallo, March 17, 1864-2 p. m.

Captain SAMUEL CALDWELL,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Thirteenth Corps:

Your dispatch relating to the construction of the defensive works is just received. I had supposed that, owing to the stormy weather which has intervened since the abandonment of Indianola, it was necessary to give time to the troops, to include to-day, to place themselves comfortably in camp and to collect wood and water.