instructed to establish his pickets at least 1 mile out, with its reserve at the usual distance in rear. The commanding general desires you to relieve this regiment every two days by a full regiment till further orders.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. S. SARGENT,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

(Same to General Emory.)

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
Alexandria, May 5, 1864.

Major General JOHN A. McCLERNAND,

Commanding Thirteenth Army Corps:

GENERAL: The commanding general desires me to inform you that the order directing you to send a regiment of your command to cover the building of the dam is revoked.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. S. SARGENT,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

(Copy for General Emory's information.)

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
Alexandria, May 5, 1864.

Major General JOHN A. McCLERNAND,

Commanding Thirteenth Army Corps:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding desires you to collect as many engineer tools (picks and spades) as are not in actual use in your command and send them to the brigade of the Nineteenth Corps, now building a line of works between the Opelousas road and the railroad. They will be returned to you as soon as the work is completed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. S. SARGENT,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

(Same to General Emory.)

HEADQUARTERS THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Alexandria, La., May 5, 1864.

Brigadier-General DWIGHT,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: The movement of the detachment of my command this morning on the Bayou Rapides road, and of General A. J. Smith's command of the Opelousas road, must, according to the imperfect map before me, increase the distance between them in proportion to their advance. By the time this dispatch reaches you the detachment of my command will probably have reached a point on the