LEWISBURG, January 8, 1865.

Major JOHN LEVERING,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Little Rock:

Just received dispatch from Captain Hamilton, at Norristown. He states that the rebels were re-enforced yesterday. Saw them riding through town. Private scut in from Scott County; came down south side of Petit Jean. Reports the rebs stationed at Beatty's and Bogg's Mills, Chickalah, and Dardanelle. Rebels have large lot of cattle corralled on the Fourche, three miles below Bluffton. Reports them building boat near Dardanelle. I will keep a small force at Norristown and Galla Rock till General Thayer's command reaches there. River nearly fordable at Dardanelle.

A. H. RYAN,

Colonel.

HEADQUARTERS INDIAN BRIGADE,
Fort Gibson, C. N., January 8, 1865.

Honorable Secretary OF WAR,

Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I deem it proper to advise you of the following facts: First. The three Indian regiments now in the Federal as home guards have only a short time longer to serve. Their terms of enlistment expire during the months of May, June, and July next. If it be the design of the Government not to make any reorganization of these troops I would respectfully recommend that the "muster out" be anticipated a few months, say the first or not later than the middle of March, so that they can raise a crop, otherwise they will be dependent on the Government for a whole year more. Second. I briefly state the present condition of the Indian country: The rebels have still a military organization numerically much greater than ours. We have about two-thirds of the people and fighting men of the Cherokee Nation. The Second and Third Indian Home Guards are Cherokees (full and half breed). We have about half of the Creeks. The First Indian is Creek, except one company of Seminoles and one of Uchees. The rebels have two Cherokee regiments. They still have an organization of two Creek regiments, a battalion of Chickasaws, one of Seminoles, a company of Caddos, and the whole Choctaw Nation, except about 100 persons, men, women, and children. They have had, and are still reported to have, the organization of three Choctaw regiments. The rebel refugees, or women and children and non-combatants, are clustered in camps, or colonies they have been making on Kiamichi, Boggy, Blue, and Washita Rivers. Their soldiers are mostly mounted, and the country between is overrun with hostile forces, and desert, so far as crops are concerned, but there is still plenty of stock thee. With the rebel Indian solders, in the rebel Indian department, there is a brigade of Texas and Arkansas troops, under General GaNumbers Generals Cooper and Stand Watie are also in command. Their artillery is at present rather better than ours. Around Fort Gibson are from 8,000 to 10,000 refugees the larger portion of whom are Creeks, or people whose homes are south of the Arkansas River. Some 7,000 or 8,000 of these latter were brought down here by the superintendent last June, too late to raise a crop.

Scattered through the Cherokee Nation, at their homes, are as many more loyal non-combatants. In all, upward of 20,000 persons depend