desolated our frontier is already broken up, and I have no doubt of the ability of my command, assisted by the mounted men you promise me, so far to bring the whole matter to a conclusion as to render the campaign next year easy of successful accomplishment. But to do this I must be relieved of the necessity of sending back for my rations and forage, as I have been obliged to do ever since I have been in the field.

I trust you will not be wearied of my long and frequent dispatches. I desire you to be made acquainted with all the details requisite to enable you to form a correct estimate of what may be necessary in this quarter, that you may judge of a bearing my operations may have upon the movements of your other columns as they are penetrating the country under you directions.

I omitted to state that of the so-called friendly Indians now in camp at Yellow Medicine it has been clearly proven that some of them have even risked their lives in defense of the whites; others have refused to affiliate with Little Crow in the warfare waged upon the white settlers, while there are still among them suspicious characters upon whom I can lay may grasp when they are wanted.

I am, very respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

H. H. SIBLEY,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, October 8, 1862.

E. A. CARR, Commanding Army of the Southwest:

GENERAL: Your two letters of the 1st and 3rd are just received. I am much vexed at the delay of movements intended to drive back rebels in Southeast Missouri at the same time Schofield and Blunt are moving them from the southwest. I am glad to know you are pressing matters to an early determination. McBride is undoubtedly at or near Pocahontas, with two or three other brigadiers. In the mean time their foraging parties are collecting and driving off cattle in large quantities from this State. The Current River Hills are infested with them. As soon as I get our troops from below, with artillery, I will move down on them. Meantime keep me well posted. Young Johnson's statements are no doubt reliable, but the force which was near Little Rock and north of there was evidently moved up on the Missouri border about the time Johnson and Noble were at Little Rock. Noble saw Parsons and other regiments moving north. Still there may be new arrivals at Little Rock, as I have news of forces coming up from Texas which could have arrived at the Arkansas River, and may be the force now in front of Schofield. Meantime I am glad you are on the alert. Keep your matters as exclusive as possible. Allow no disloyal persons to place or privilege. I will try to increase you force from new levies as soon as I can get them, so as to inspire new fears to counteract people encouraging enlistment among rebels in your vicinity.

I understand noted rebel ex-officers, including the arch traitor Jac. Thompson, have been at Helena without being hung. Any such monstrous breaches of military law and reason will be severely noticed. Frank Johnson says there was a man buying cotton by the name of -, who certain rebel ladies told him they were going to convey letters by to their rebel husbands, who Frank knew. I hope you were informed, so as to arrest him as a spy. I was sorry to order Washburn