HEADQUARTERS IN THE FIELD, August 30, 1863.

Brigadier General W. L. CABELL:

GENERAL: I shall send my mail through Texas to Little Rock. I send you a verbal message by the bearer.

Respectfully,
WM. STEELE,

Brigadier-General.

Memorandum of message transmitted by courier to General Cabell.

General Bankhead's forces are most of them now here. His wagons have not arrived. His strength is not more than 1,000 but well armed and mounted, with a prairie howitzer battery. General Cooper's command is much broken down. Scarcely any Cherokees here. Creeks not here. Several companies of Choctaw who were on the Arkansas River ha not joined. Collect all you can of them. As soon as possible I will push forward Bankhead to your assistance, and, with Cooper's, if there is any of it left that can move,will move forward.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF TEXAS, &C., Houston, August 30, 1863.

Brigadier General S. P. BANKHEAD,
Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs me to reply to your last communications in reference to the movements of your command, ordnance stores, &c., and say you will at once move forward. Send courier ahead by both the Fort Smith and Fort Gibson roads, and receive from General Steele such directions as may be necessary to regulate your movements. Of course, at this distance it is almost impossible to give such orders as would properly direct you.

By orders received from Headquarters Trans-Mississippi Department, Brigadier-General McCulloch has been ordered to the command of the Northern Sub-District of Texas, and will leave in a few days from Bonham.

The commanding general does not know what you mean by asking to have your ordnance stores forwarded. Orders were given some time since to fill your requisition and have the stores forwarded will all dispatch,and hopes they have reached you before this.

Yours, &c.,

W. T. CARRINGTON,

Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS, Little Rock, August 31, 1863.

Brigadier-General WALKER,

Commanding Cavalry:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs you to establish your headquarters on the south side of the Arkansas River, between Little Rock and Pine Bluff, and to resume command of Carter's brigade, together with all the squadrons and companies which have been