CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI STATES AND TERRITORIES, FROM JANUARY 1, 1865, TO MARCH 31, 1865. *

UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

CITY POINT, VA., January 1, 1865.

Major-General HALLECK,

Chief of Staff of the Army:

Herewith I return you the papers addressed to the President of the United States petitioning to have the Territory of Arkansas and the Indian country ordered to be evacuated by General Canby still held. +

My understanding was that General Canby only ordered the abandonment of the territory west of Little Rock because General Steele failed to supply the garrisons in that country whilst it was possible. It seems from General Steele's statement that there is no difficulty in supplying Fort Smith. As I telegraphed on receipt of the papers, that post, at least, should be held. No one of them should be abandoned when troops can be maintained until the roads get so that fresh supplies can be thrown in. I presume the orders have gone to General Reynolds and General Canby to hold on to Fort Smith and such of the other posts ordered to be abandoned as he can. I think it advisable to give him the additional order to resume possession of such of them as he may find it necessary to abandon for the winter, at the earliest practicable moment of supplying them in the spring.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

SOUTHWEST PASS, January 1, 1865.

(Received 12 m.)

Major General E. R. S. CANBY:

I am on board steamer Morning Star, ordered to report to you as special commissioner. Shall arrive to-night.

W. F. SMITH,

Major-General of Volunteers.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
New Orleans, La., January 1, 1865.

Major General F. J. HERRON, U. S. Volunteers:

SIR: I am instructed by the major-general commanding to state, for your information, that Special Orders, Numbers 151, paragraph 4, series of 1864, from these headquarters, is hereby so far modified as to require you, on the completion of the duty to which you are therein assigned (and after having availed yourself of the leave of absence granted by Special Orders, Numbers 167, paragraph 2, series of 1864, from headquarters Department of the Gulf), to report at the headquarters of the Military Division of West Mississippi, in this city, instead of at headquarters District of Baton Rouge, and Port Hudson.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

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* For Correspondence, etc., from April 1, 1865, to June 30, 1865, see Part II.

+ See Halleck to Grant, December 28, 1864, Vol. XLI, Part IV, p. 946.

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