saying he had received letters from General Holmes, at Little Rock, inquiring about your answer to Hindman's letters, and saying he would exchange all the prisoners in his hands and send them to you at Saint Louis; also asking that you answer to that communication be sent via Helena. Doubtless it is best to send the flag from that point, as the bearer would pass thought the country that General Carr thinks is occupied by Confederate forces. I am perfectly willing to extend all possible help to all points, but I think Carr's force is larger than mine, and that this point is one of more importance to secure. The operations of guerrilla parties on the river have been resumed, and it may be that detachments have come over from White or Saint Francis Rivers. We must devise some remedy for this. It is generally useless to send parties to the very point of attack, as after firing on a boat they generally shift their ground. I will expel every secession family from Memphis if their mode of warfare is to be continued, and will moreover land troops on unexpected points and devastate the country into the interior. If we confine the punishment to the east point of attack we will involve our own friends and not reach the guilty parties. But it must be stopped, and I may have to touch on your side of the river, in which case Hindman and Holmes may threaten vengeance.

But how they can talk about barbarous warfare when their partisans and adherents fire on unarmed boats with women and children on board I cannot imagine. Thus the Continental, Dickey, and Catahoula were all boats engaged exclusively in private business, in no way connected with the Government or the Army. Each case will be followed by the expulsion of ten secession families from this city, of which I gave timely notice; for it is not fair that the very boats which carry supplies to their families should be fired on by their own husbands and brothers.

I have sent an expedition to Island 21, and shall send another down to the second bend below Memphis, and my order may involve the destruction of some houses and corn fields on the Arkansas side. In each case boats have been fired on from those points. There has been no firing of late from the east side.

I am, with great respect, your obedient servant,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF MEMPHIS,
Memphis, October 18, 1862.

General E. A. CARR,

Commanding United States Forces, Helena, Ark.:

DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 13th did not reach me till to-day. I had before received yours of the 16th, and answered it.* I sent you several letters from General Curtis and myself for General Hindman, at Little Rock, which will enable you to send a flag of truce. My information from Arkansas is that the troops are much scattered and no combined force nearer you than Des. Arc. No doubt the general plan was to have advance on Missouri at the same time the great movements were begun on Maryland and Kentucky. But it was not done, and as both Lee and Bragg have utterly failed, I doubt if any attempt will be made on Missouri. I have written as much to General Curtis. I regret exceedingly that the Helena force was so reduced that you are

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*Neither found.

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