I would respectfully call the attention of the general commanding to the order from the Headquarters of the Army forbidding the purchase or issue of coffee as part of the ration. The article can be purchased at from 50 to 80 cents per pound in this market and in desired quantities; and when it is considered that the pay of a soldier at the present depreciated rate of our currency will not buy a calico dress for his wife, I feel justified in asking that the component parts of the ration, being equally the dew of the soldier as his monthly pay, may be issued to him when it can be obtained at a reasonable price. If the influence of the commanding general is brought to bear on the subject perhaps the soldiers of the Trans-Mississippi Department will be benefited thereby.

Major-General Magruder is reported to have arrived at Houston. Brigadier-General Hebert will leave on Tuesday, the 2nd proximo, for Little Rock.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. P. BEE,

Brigadier-General, Provisional Army, Commanding.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,
Little Rock, Ark., December 22, 1862.

In the absence of Major-General Holmes, who has gone to Fort Smith these communications (copies) are respectfully forwarded to the Adjutant and Inspector General.

S. S. ANDERSON,

Lieutenant Col., Assistant Adjutant-General, Trans-Miss. Dept.

Abstract from Return of the District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, commanded by Major General J. B. Magruder, for November, 1862 (headquarters Houston, Tex.).

Present for duty.

Command. Officers. Men. Aggregate Aggregate

present. present

and

absent.

Sub-District

of the Rio

Grande,

Brigadier General

H. P. Bee,

commanding:

Corpus 23 435 532 656

Christi,

infantry,

cavalry, and

artillery.

Lavaca, 10 190 267 370

infantry,

cavalry, and

artillery.

Camp Salado, 9 289 348 404

infantry

Camp Morgan, 6 100 118 153

cavalry

Camp near 13 236 310 413

San Antonio,

cavalry

Camp near 31 474 605 769

Columbus,

cavalry

Camp near 27 443 495 623

Oakland,

cavalry

Fort Clark, 3 77 106 163

cavalry

Atoscosa, 4 54 65 80

cavalry

Ringgold 17 275 337 363

Barracks,

infantry and

cavalry.

Fort Brown, .......... ......... ........... ..........

cavalry*

Carriazo .......... ......... ........... ..........

cavalry*

Fort .......... ......... .......... ..........

McIntosh,

cavalry*

Sub-District

of Houston,

Col. X. B.

Debray

commanding:

Fort Hebert, 64 1,208 1,698 2,148

infantry and

artillery.

Harrisburg, 29 569 708 814

cavalry

Velasco, 31 434 524 684

infantry,

cavalry, and

artillery.

Horses. Pieces of artillery.

Command. Serviceab Unservic Heavy. Field. Mounta

le. eable. in.

Sub-

District

of the

Rio

Grande,

Brigadier

General H.

P. Bee,

commandin

g:

Corpus 76 18 ......... 6 ......

Christi,

infantry,

cavalry,

and

artillery

.

Lavaca, ......... ........ 8 ........ 1

infantry,

cavalry,

and

artillery

.

Camp ......... ........ ......... ........ ......

Salado,

infantry

Camp 144 ........ ......... ........ ......

Morgan,

cavalry

Camp near 410 ........ ......... ........ ......

San

Antonio,

cavalry

Camp near 722 7 ......... ........ ......

Columbus,

cavalry

Camp near ......... ........ ......... ........ ......

Oakland,

cavalry

Fort 79 ........ ......... ........ ......

Clark,

cavalry

Atoscosa, ......... ........ ......... ........ ......

cavalry

Ringgold ......... ........ ......... ........ ......

Barracks,

infantry

and

cavalry.

Fort ......... ........ ......... ........ ......

Brown,

cavalry*

Carriazo ......... ........ ......... ........ ......

cavalry*

Fort ......... ........ ........ ........ ......

McIntosh,

cavalry*

Sub-

District

of

Houston,

Col. X.

B.

Debray

commandin

g:

Fort ......... ........ ........ ........ ......

Hebert,

infantry

and

artillery

.

Harrisbur 852 ........ ......... ........ ......

g,

cavalry

Velasco, 315 ........ ......... ........ ......

infantry,

cavalry,

and

artillery

.