We must clean them out here first, and then we will attend to east side of river afterward. I have no news. bushwhacker Turpin to-day and 7 others. Respectfully, I captured the notorious R. R. LIVINGSTON, HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, General EWING, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.: The Second Colorado Cavalry will leave here day after to-morrow to occupy Jackson, Cass, and Bates Counties, Mo. If those men of that Kansas regiment have not yet left Kansas detain them, and give them orders in accordance with destination of regiment. If they have left send courier after them. Answer. Hon. A. LINCOLN, President: O. D. GREENE, Assistant Adjutant-General. EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, January 9, 1864. SIR: The Indian Bureau and ourselves, being desirous to consult with Major-General Blunt on the subject of moving the Kansas Indians to the Indian Territory and the early return of the refugees, do earnestly request that permission be granted General Blunt to visit Washington in compliance with his application now on file. General Blunt is not now in command; has been in service from the commencement of the war without intermission or application for leave of absence. All of which is respectfully submitted. Yours, &c., J. H. LANE. I unite with General Lane and the Hon. A. C. Wilder in ing permission for General Blunt to visit Washington. request W. P. DOLE, Commissioner Indian Affairs. [Indorsement.] JANUARY 9, 1864. Let General Blunt have leave to come to Washington.* A. LINCOLN. BATON ROUGE, LA., January 10, 1864-10 a. m. Brig. Gen. C. P. STONE, Chief of Staff: Nothing of importance. The enemy said to have recrossed the Atchafalaya. The gun-boat Conestoga has returned up the river. P. ST. GEO. COOKE, Brigadier-General, Commanding. *This permission telegraphed same day to General Blunt, Fort Smith, Ark. PORT HUDSON, LA., January 10, 1864-6.45 p. m. General C. P. STONE, Chief of Staff: Our wire was cut yesterday p. m. in several places, but is now working again. The party not yet returned from Baton Rouge. Scott's men have returned again. About 200 were near Newport yesterday p. m. Ten of them fired upon our pickets on the Jackson road last night, but effected nothing. No other news. G. L. ANDREWS, Brigadier-General, Commanding Post. HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, Plaquemine, La., January 10, 1864. Brig. Gen. CHARLES P. STONE, Chief of Staff, New Orleans, La. : SIR: Two days since I received an order from General Cooke, directing me to send two regiments from my command to New Orleans to report to you as soon as practicable. Up to this time it has been impossible to procure transportation, and the prospect is not flattering that I shall immediately succeed. I shall send them as soon as possible. I am desired to name to you, in behalf of the troops to be sent away, the fact that they are and for a long time have been without tents; that they are now here very comfortably situated; that the weather is bad, and unless it is important that they move soon, that they desire to be permitted to remain until the weather is better. This matter is suggested in all respect, and is submitted to your consideration with a desire to have it understood that there is a cheerful disposition to perform all duties promptly. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, L. A. SHELDON, WASHINGTON, D. C., January 10, 1864. Maj. O. D. GREENE, Assistant Adjutant-General: If the First Arkansas Cavalry can be spared from the telegraph line they may go to any part of Northwestern Arkansas for forage. J. M. SCHOFIELD. BENTON BARRACKS, Mo., January 10, 1864. Maj. O. D. GREENE, Assistant Adjutant-General, Saint Louis, Mo.: The Second Colorado Regiment has aggregate strength, 700; 900 horses and mules, eighteen wagons, six ambulances, 100 boxes ordnance; is ready to move. [Colonel Ford] desires to remain to have his regiment paid and to get his carbines and revolvers, which he says are on the way from New York arsenal. Shall he wait or start immediately? B. L. E. BONNEVILLE, HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, Colonel BONNEVILLE, Benton Barracks, Mo.: The Second Colorado may be detained a day or two. Let Colonel Ford come to headquarters to-morrow morning. O. D. GREENE, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS FORT LARNED, KANS., ACTING ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, January 10, 1864. Hdqrs. District of the Border, Kansas City, Mo.: SIR: I have the honor to submit the following statement to the commanding general of the district, and respectfully ask for instructions for my future guidance: There are encamped at this time in the vicinity of this post a tribe, or part of a tribe, of Indians known as the Caddoes, about 300 in number. They are partially civilized, and were driven by the rebels from the State of Texas in consequence of their adherence to the Government of the United States. Being unaccustomed to living as the Indians do who inhabit these plains, they are in a destitute and starving condition. They frequently come to these headquarters and represent that they are suffering from hunger, and I have issued provisions to them in small quantities at different times, but not enough to materially benefit so large a number. It seems absolutely necessary to do something for them in order for them to live, but as I have no warrant to issue to them except in small quantities, and do not wish to do anything in the premises without proper authority, I take this means to acquaint the commanding general with the circumstances, and shall in the mean time await further instructions. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. N. F. READ, Captain, Ninth Kansas Cavalry, Commanding Post. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA, Maj. JOHN S. WOOD, Commanding Fort Kearney, Nebr. Ter.: MAJOR I am directed by the general commanding the district to say that the inferior quality of the hay in this section of the coun try, and the unprecedented severity of the winter, require great attention on the part of officers and men to the public animals under their charge, and that it is expected you will take measures to preserve the forage from waste, and to insure the utmost care in grooming, watering, and feeding, to the end that your stock may get through the winter in proper condition. There will be but little service during the winter for your mounts, and it is to be hoped that they at least may be kept in fair condition, notwithstanding the unfavorable circumstances above mentioned. The general also requires you to see that the acting assistant quartermaster at your post reports forthwith, and at the end of every month hereafter, to Capt. J. M. Bradshaw, assistant quartermaster at these headquarters, the amount of forage on hand, and the whole number of animals to be foraged. If at any time his papers should not be made up so as to show the exact amount of forage on hand, an estimate (as nearly correct as practicable) should be forwarded." Very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEORGE S. HAMPTON, HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Maj. Gen. N. P. BANKS, New Orleans: GENERAL: Your dispatch of December 30 is received.* General Andrews' neglect of orders in regard to the river batteries at Port Hudson deserves a reprimand, if not a more severe punishment. I am assured by the Navy Department that Admiral Porter will be prepared to co-operate with you as soon as the stage of water in the Southwest will admit of the use of his flotilla there. General Steele's command is now under the general orders of General Grant, and it is hoped that he and General Sherman may also be able to co-operate with you at an early day. General Sherman is now on the Mississippi River, and General Grant expects to soon be able to re-enforce him. A regiment of cavalry and one of infantry have been ordered to your command to-day from Maine. Two or three batteries of artillery will be sent from here as soon as transportation can be procured. It is enormously expensive to ship horses from here on account of the heavy losses at sea. The failure to send you animals and forage from the West is probably due to neglect of subordinate agents of the Quartermaster's Department. An examination has been ordered, and it is hoped that measures will be adopted to prevent a recurrence of the evils complained of. Re-enlistments in old regiments progressed favorably till Congress prohibited bounties; unless this resolution should be repealed, we shall get very few more old soldiers. Recruiting in the North and East is very slow, but the regiments will be forwarded to you as rapidly as they can be filled up. It has never been expected that your troops would operate north of Red River, unless the rebel forces in Texas should be withdrawn into Arkansas. But it was proposed that General Steele should advance to Red River, if he could rely upon your co-operation, and he could be certain of receiving supplies on that line. Being uncertain on these points, he determined not to attempt an advance, but to occupy the Arkansas River as his line of defense. The best military opinions of the generals in the West seem to favor operations on Red River, provided the stage of water will enable the gun-boats to co-operate. I presume General Sherman will communicate with you on this subject. *See Vol. XXVI, Part I, p. 888. If the rebels could be driven south of that river, it would serve as a shorter and better line of defense for Arkansas and Missouri than that now occupied by General Steele; moreover, it would open to us the cotton and stores in Northeastern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas. I am inclined to think that this opens a better field of operations than any other for such troops as General Grant can spare during the winter. I have written to him, and also to General Steele, on this subject. Please advise me whether you want more field artillery sent to your department, and also in regard to the shipment of animals from the Northeast. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. W. HALLECK, BATON ROUGE, La., January 11, 1864-9.30 a. m. Brig. Gen. C. P. STONE, Chief of Staff: I received yesterday a report of a large force of the enemy just beyond Amite River. Not credited, but a party sent out to get Has not returned. news. P. ST. GEO. COOKE, Brigadier-General, Commanding. Brig. Gen. C. P. STONE, Chief of Staff: A patrol now out. BATON ROUGE, LA., January 11, 1864. (Received 8 p. m.) No news from the front yesterday. Scout, Lieutenant Earl and 10 men, not returned. P. ST. GEO. COOKE, Brig. Gen. C. P. STONE: The party sent to Baton Rouge to repair wire returned unmolested this p. m. A forage party went to within 4 miles of Jackson this m. and saw but few of Scott's men. The party brought twenty loads of corn in. Roads very bad. Nothing new from up river. GEO. L. ANDREWS, Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Comdg. Post. OFFICE ACTING ASSISTANT QUARTERMASTER, Major-General ORD, Commanding Thirteenth Army Corps: GENERAL: I have the honor to make the following report in regard to my means of transportation, together with the number of |