Today in History:

679 Series I Volume XLVIII-I Serial 101 - Powder River Expedition Part I

Page 679 Chapter LX. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.

command, 150 men, is in the vicinity of Cane Hill; Colonel Dobbin's brigade, composed of Colonel Adams', Colonel Lyles', Colonel Freeman's, and Colonel Nichols' regiments is at Crowley's Ridge, between the Black and Saint Francis Rivers. This force is reported to be 2,000 strong and well armed. Schnable has disbanded his command and reported to Colonel Dobbin for orders. The men that composed his command are still scattered about the country, armed, and one band of them, in the vicinity of Mount Olive, on White River, numbers about seventy-five men. All Northern Arkansas is clear of any force of the enemy at present. About the 20th instant Colonel Brooks was apparently making an effort to cross the Arkansas, coming north near Clarksville with a section of artillery and a regiment of cavalry. He had not succeeded at last accounts, as the River was high, but had fired his artillery into transports from Fort Smith, and compelled two or three boats to return to Fort Smith and Van Buren. The general talk and understanding among guerrillas, Confederate soldiers, and citizens in that country is that there will be a grand general crusade into this State as soon as grass grows in the spring. Confederate officers state that they don't know anything about what they are going to do in the spring. I will have full information from Price's headquarters in two or three weeks. Everything is quiet in the district.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN B. SANBORN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.


HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Eastport, Miss., January 30, 1865-10 a. m.

Major General E. R. S. CANBY,

New Orleans:

I am directed by Lieutenant-General Grant* to send you the corps of Major General A. J. Smith and five divisions of the cavalry command under General Wilson as soon as possible, with orders to report to you at New Orleans. The necessary orders have already been given to get them off as rapidly as possible, and it will expedite matters very much, I think, if you will send to this point all the steamers you can secure to transport this force with as little delay as possible. The whole force will number about 30,000 men, and there will also be from 20,000 to 25,000 animals. They will need to be supplied with forage and subsistence stores to take them from this point to New Orleans, and it is advisable that you send a sufficient supply by steamers here to carry them to New Orleans. They will embark here as rapidly as transportation can be furnished them.

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General, U. S. Army, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 30.
New Orleans, La., January 30, 1865.

1. Major General F. J. Herron, U. S. Volunteers, having completed the duties to which he was assigned by Special Orders, Numbers 151, paragraph

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* See Halleck to Thomas, January 26 and 29, Vol. XLIX, Part I.

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Page 679 Chapter LX. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.