War of the Rebellion: Serial 014 Page 0599 Chapter XXIII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-CONFEDERATE.
shooters, and a steam transport freighted, as was supposed, with shot and shell, left City Point at 11 o'clock to-day and passed slowly up this way. Late this afternoon they had not come above Jones' Wharf, some 12 miles by water below this place. I do not know what importance to attach to these facts. The field artillery, perhaps, came from McClellan's army.
I. The Secretary of War having expressed determination, in addition to such other punishment as a court-martial may award, to revoke the authority to raise partisan corps in every instance where the partisan officer is proved to have received into his corps men already belonging to the service, commanders of troops will report all such cases as come within their own knowledge, in order that this evil may be promptly corrected.
II. Great waste of ammunition is reported from the practice of issuing packages of cartridges to be carried in pockets of the men. This is prohibited, except where men are about to engage the enemy. All injured ammunition will be turned in to the regimental ordnance sergeants for remanufacture at Richmond, and commanding officers of regiments will see that company commanders make frequent inspections of the ammunition in charge of their men, and that this order is strictly enforced.
III. The subject of subsisting this army having become one of the gravest importance, it is required that the most rigid examination be made of all provision returns to verify their correspondence with the number of enlisted men actually present with companies on the day for which the return is made. To secure the proper issue of provisions to the troops brigade commanders will indorse their consolidated provision returns as "examined and verified by morning reports," which returns, consolidated at division headquarters, will be indorsed by division commanders as "verified and approved," the chief commissary not issuing upon any return unless so indorsed. Returns will be in detailed form, stating number of men and dates inclusive for which provisions are required.
IV. Division commanders will make field returns the 10th and 20th of each month, and also the usual returns at the end of each month. It is indispensable for the advised action of the commanding general with regard to the operations of the army that he should have full knowledge of the force under his command, and returns will be promptly rendered at the periods stated.