RICHMOND, VA., March 11, 1862.

Gov. H. M. RECTOR,

Little Rock, Ark.:

Send orders in my name to Brigadier General Albert Rust to take the field at once, assuming command of any Arkansas troops ready for service, and press on to re-enforce General Van Dorn.*

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War.

Actual strength present of McCulloch's division, March 11, 1862.

Commands Officers Men Aggregate Remarks on brigade

reports

First ... ... ... Both men and

(Greer's) horses in dreadful

Brigade condition

3rd Texas ... ... 520 About seven

Cavalry companies of this

brigade are

missing and

supposed to be

with the train

9th Texas ... ... 175

Cavalry

11th Texas ... ... 252 Two of the

Cavalry commands, Stone's

regiment and

Brooke's

battalion, are

with the trains

Total ... ... 947

Second

(Churchill's

Brigade:

Churchill's 18 279 297

regiment

Embry's 14 155 169

regiment

Hebert's 11 260 271

regiment

Hill's 24 282 306

regiment

McNair's ... 352 352

regiment

McRae's 10 168 178

regiment

Mitchell's 10 189 199

regiment

Rector's ... ... ... Missin.

regiment

Whitfield's 9 111 120

battalion

Hart's 2 53 55 3 guns, 3

battery caissons, no

ammunition

Total 98 1,849 1,947

Grand total ... ... 2,894

HUMBOLDT, March 12, 1862.

General BEAUREGARD, Jackson:

A messenger just in from General McCown states the enemy have moved down from New Madrid to neighborhood of Point Pleasant. All quiet at our forts. Our gunboats keeping the enemy from establishing works on the river. Estimated force 15,000, with seventy pieces of light artillery. Fifty-two heavy guns mounted at Island 10 and Madrid Bend.

My heavy baggage will all be sent off to-morrow. Five days' rations distributed to the command, 100 rounds of ammunition to the infantry, 200 to the artillery. All will be in hand day after to-morrow morning. Generals Clark and Cheatham placed each in command of First and Second Divisions, composed of two brigades each, each brigade having a battery attached. Orders given for concentrating at Grand Junction same amount of ammunition as now distributed for a reserve. Will give accurate information as to ammunition and supplies of the force on the river in a day or two.

L. POLK.

---------------

*General Rust so ordered in Special Orders, Numbers 58, A. and I. G. O., of March 13, 1862.

---------------