feel it to be my duty to afford these people all the assistance and protection I can possibly give them. They are willing and anxious to work. The number of persons who will want too purchase supplies from the commissary will exceed 2,000.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CYRUS BUSSEY,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF MISSISSIPPI,
Memphis, Tenn., March 8, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Asst. Adjt. General, Military Division of West Mississippi:

Captain Speed, assistant adjutant-general, having reported to me for duty to-day, and having informed me that when he left New Orleans he believed no official copy of War Department General Orders, Numbers 21, had been received there, and that the commanding general would leave for the field on the following day, and Major-General Washburn having, without your being informed, arrived here and assumed command of the District of West Tennessee, under orders from the headquarters of the Army, reporting only to the major-general commanding the Department of the Cumberland, I have thought it most proper too anticipate (as I suppose) your orders, and have removed my headquarters within the limits of my own department to Vicksburg. I inclose a copy of the order, and hope it will meet with the approval of the major-general commanding.

Respectfully,

N. J. T. DANA,

Major-General.

[Inclosure.]

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 30.
Memphis, Tenn., March 8, 1865.

I. Captain Frederic Speed, assistant adjutant-general, U. S. Volunteers, having reported too these headquarters in compliance with Special Orders, Numbers 59, current series, from headquarters Military Division of West Mississippi, is hereby announced as assistant adjutant-general of the department, vice Captain F. W. Fox, assistant adjutant-general, U. S. Volunteers, relieved.

II. the limits of the department being changed, the headquarters will hereafter be at Vicksburg, Miss., until further orders form the headquarters Military Division of West Mississippi.

By order of Major General N. J. T. Dana:

J. WARREN MILLER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., March 8, 1865.

Honorable a. LINCOLN,

President of the United States, Washington, D. C.:

I wrote fully concerning assessment to the Secretary of War on the 26th of February. I resubmitted the question to War Department,

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