to withdraw his command down the Atchafalaya to the next ferry, and after the Confederate prisoners have been crossed to reoccupy his present position. Our prisoners come by water to Snaggy Point, on Red River, and have to walk the balance of the way and will cross at Simsport; the rebel prisoners also. I am informed that a Captain Lee, with 100 men of Quantrill's band, dressed in Federal uniform, has made application to the officer commanding Confederate forces at Simsport to be permitted to cross to this side the Atchafalaya. He refused the permission and threatened to fire on them in case they should attempt to cross, as General Smith and the Confederate authorities regard them as outlaws. If you capture any of these men and trouble the commissary for rations for them I shall certainly quarrel with you.

M. K. LAWLER,

Brigadier-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS, Numbers 258.
Little Rock, Ark., October 20, 1864.

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XI. The Twentieth and Twenty-third Iowa Infantry Volunteers and the Thirty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers are hereby assigned to the First Division, Seventh Army Corps, for mustering purposes, and the assistant commissary of musters for that division will make all musters that may be required in those regiments.

* * * *

By order of Major General F. Steele:

W. D. GREEN,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, SEVENTH ARMY CORPS,

Devall's Bluff, Ark., October 20, 1864.

Colonel DYE,

Commanding First Brigade, Third Division, Nineteenth Corps:

You will please furnish the following detail for picket at 7 o'clock to-morrow morning, and daily until further orders, viz: One commissioned officer, four sergeants, eight corporals, forty-eight privates, to picket the front extending southeast toward the river from the Brownsville road, and which is now picketed by men from the camp of the cavalry depot. The detail will furnish four posts of one sergeant, two corporals, and twelve privates at each post, and each post will supply four sentinels from 150 to 200 yards to the front of the post, so as to make a continuous chain of sentinels about 400 yards (or perhaps a little less) apart. Two posts (twenty-four privates) will be sufficient to picket between the Brownsville road and the bottom or ravine, where the trees are fallen. The other two posts will supply the line to connect with the pickets of lieutenant-Colonel Clopper, commanding cavalry depot. You will have the detail take out axes to compete the buildings for shelter to the pickets. No enlisted man or citizens are to pass the chain, except on main roads, and then only with a pass from the commander of the post or from the provost-marshal, except fatigue parties, who can pass (if armed) with the permission in writing of their

9 R R-VOL XLI, PT IV