SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. TWENTY-FIFTH ARMY CORPS, ARMY OF THE JAMES,

Numbers 25. In the Field, December 30, 1864.

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III. Brigadier-General Ames, with his command, is hereby relieved from duty with the Expeditionary Corps and will report to Brevet Major-General Terry, commanding the Twenty-fourth Army Corps.

By order of Major-General Weitzel:

D. D. WHEELER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HATCHER'S, December 30, 1864.

General TURNER:

Colonel Ward's brigade will be relieved at once and will report to their command to-night. The other brigade will be relieved as the troops arrive.

E. FERRERO,

Brevet Major-General.

HDQRS. DEFENSES OF BERMUDA HUNDRED, VA.,
ARMY OF THE JAMES,

December 30, 1864.

Colonel H. C. WARD,

Commanding Third Brigadier, Second Div., Twenty-fifth Army Corps:

COLONEL: You will at once, on the receipt of this order, proceed with your command and report to Major-General Weitzel, commanding the Twenty-fifth Army Corps, Army of the James. You will take your baggage, camp and garrison equipage, &c. You will give strict orders to have your camps left unmolested, and as clean as possible, as they will be occupied by the troops relieving you. Regimental commanders will be held personally responsible that this order is complied with. Your pickets will be relieved this p. m. by a detail from the troops relieving you, and you will order your brigade officer of the day to remain and assist the new command in relieving them, and as soon as they are relieved to proceed to rejoin you.

By order of Brevet Major-General Ferrero:

GEO. A. HICKS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, December 31, 1864-3 p. m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

City Point, Va.:

I learn, form a letter of General Foster, that all able-bodied negroes brought in by Sherman are to be shipped to City Point. Permit me to suggest that they be armed, organized, and used in the Department of the South during the winter. Our experience is that negroes brought north during the cold weather from a warm climate are almost useless. Moreover, they suffer very much from cold. To send them north at the present time would create a panic among them, and prevent others

70 R R-VOL XLII, PT III