CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS STEWART'S CORPS,

September 1, 1864.

I. When the order to march is given the order of march will be left in front.

II. In the following order: Walthall's division, Featherston's division, French's division. The battalions of artillery will, in each division, precede the infantry.

III. French's division will bring up the rear, and will have one brigade as a rear guard with one battery of artillery.

IV. The battalions of artillery will be under the orders of the division commanders on this march.

By order of Lieutenant-General Stewart:

DOUGLAS WEST,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS LEE'S CORPS,
September 1, 1864.

The lieutenant-general commanding directs that you have your troops under arms and ready to move at daylight to-morrow morning. Send to the McDonough and Jonesborough road, half way between the two points, all trains now with the command, except brigade ordnance trains and ambulances, starting at 10 o'clock to-morrow morning, taking the first plain, left-hand road leading from the road traveled to-day. Send at once to your trains which went in the direction of Decatur, and order them to the point above specified. The order of march will be: Clayton's division, with the battalion of artillery; Stevenson's division, with battalion of artillery; Johnson's division, with battalion of artillery. Each division will march prepared to fight if necessary.

I remain, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. W. RATCHFORD,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

(To division commanders.)

OFFICE INSPECTOR OF FIELD TRANSPORTATION,

ARMY OF TENNESSEE,

Atlanta, September 1, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel A. H. COLE,

Chief of Field Transportation, C. S. Army:

COLONEL: I respectfully call your attention to the following statements, and ask that you will please forward to the proper officials with such remarks as you may see fit:

The policy adopted at the beginning of the war by the Government of making cavalrymen mount themselves is, in my opinion, the most extravagant to the Government, and has done more to demoralize the troops of this branch of the service than any other cause. When a soldier is dismounted, whether by general or special orders I do not know, he is entitled to a furlough of thirty days to go home and remount himself. This makes every cavalry soldier, or at least all that desire to be, mere horse traders, selling their animals whenever they desire to go home. Many even go further than this; they steal every animal, whether public or private, when it can be done with any show of suc-