MILWAUKEE, WIS., February 1, 1865.

(Received 3. 20 p. m.)

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Chief of Staff:

Dispatch received last evening. Go immediately to Saint Louis. I request earnestly that Colonel W. A. Nichols, assistant adjutant-general, be ordered to report to me as assistant adjutant-general of the division. I have no adjutant-general, and this request is made with Colonel Nichols' assent.

JOHN POPE,

Major-General.

WASHINGTON, D. C., February 1, 1865.

Major General JOHN POPE,

Saint Louis, Mo.:

GENERAL: I transmit herewith copy of a letter* from General Connor in regard to the defense of the Overland Mail Route, and also several papers* from General Curtis on the subject. These papers and others were on their receipt forwarded to Lieutenant-General Grant, and have been returned without any instructions from him, so far as I am informed. It is therefore presumed that he deems the large cavalry force in the Department of Kansas as sufficient for present purposes without taking others from active duty in the field. It is proper to state in this connection that others report these stories of Indian hostilities as greatly exaggerated, if not merely gotten up for the purpose of speculation, and respectable authorities assert that they are encouraged by agents of the Overland Mail Company in order to cover their frequent failure to transport the mails according to contract. Be this as it may, it is highly important that the roads to New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho should be properly protected from Indian hostilities, so that there may be no interruption in the transmission of supplies and the mails. You will transmit these papers with the necessary instructions to General Dodge, who will give the whole matter his immediate care and attention.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE MISSOURI, Numbers 28.
Saint Louis, Mo., February 1, 1865.

District or sub-district commanders will detail a line officer to take charge of the recruiting of each of the companies called for by Governor Thomas C. Fletcher, in General Orders, Numbers 3, from headquarters State of Missouri (adjutant-general's office), for the respective counties in their commands.

Officers most noted for efficiency and good discipline will be selected for this duty. They will remain in charge until they are relieved by officers commissioned by the governor to command these companies, and great effort will be made by them to fill the companies immediately, and to secure in them the services of as many honorably discharged soldiers from U. S. volunteers, and Missouri State Militia who have seen actual service, as possible.

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*Not found as inclosures.

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