officers of artillery of the regular service, serving with this army, should receive favorable action. In the organization of the artillery, arm of the service, it becomes necessary for its effectiveness and proper care that officers of experience and education should be assigned to duty as chiefs of artillery of the respective corps. The officers best fitted for this service are the captains of artillery on duty with batteries. Many, if not all, of these officers have performed meritorious service during the campaign of this army, and are justly entitled to some consideration and reward thereof. Their assignment to duty as chiefs of artillery of corps, while it gives them no increased rank, deprives them of a portion of their pay, and most of them have families dependent upon them for support. I would earnestly request that the commanding general should select from the list of officers thus recommenced from this army the names of a sufficient number to be made chiefs of artillery of corps, and urge upon the proper authorities that the brevet rank in the regular service recommended for them should be given them, and they assigned to duty according to their brevet rank, to fill these positions. Such a course is not only due to these officers, but would be of the greatest benefit to this army.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH HOOKER,

Major-General, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

No. 6.
Camp near Falmouth, Va., February 5, 1863.

I. The division of the army into grand division, impeding rather than facilitating the dispatch of its current business, and the character of the service it is liable to be called upon to perform being adverse to the movement and operations of heavy columns, it is discontinued, and the corps organization is adopted in its stead. They will be commanded as follows:

First Corps, Major General John F. Reynolds.

Second Corps, Major General D. N. Couch.

Third Corps, Brigadier General D. E. Sickles (temporarily)

Fifth Corps, Major General George G. Meade.

Sixth Corps, Major General John Sedgwick.

Eleventh Corps, Major General Franz Sigel.

Twelfth Corps, Major General H. W. Slocum.

II. Hereafter the corps will be considered as a unit for the organization of the artillery, and no transfers of batteries will be made from one corps or division to others except for purposes of equalization, and then only under the authority of the chief of artillery.

III. The cavalry of the army will be consolidated into one corps, under the command of Brigadier-General Stoneman, who will make the necessary assignments for detached duty.

IV. The foregoing changes in command will be made as early as convenient.

V. The major-generals commanding grand division will report to these headquarters the names of such staff officers as are for assignment for duty in the execution of this order.

By command of Major-General Hooker:

JOS. DICKINSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.