Today in History:

218 Series I Volume XLVIII-II Serial 102 - Powder River Expedition Part II

Page 218 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LX.

the Buttes yesterday, moving in a southern direction. Last night the herders in charge here of twenty-four yoke of Government cattle saw Indians, four in number, and they finally approached near enough to my picket-post so that my own men got a shot at them. There is evidently quite a number of them about us.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

MARSHALL M. EHLE,

First Lieutenant, Third Wisconsin Cavalry, Commanding Station.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, April 26, 1865 - 6. 40 a. m.

Major J. W. BARNES,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

Shall the same precautions be taken above Leavenworth City as below in regard to the Missouri River boats? Please answer.

Robt. B. MITCHELL,

Brigadier-General.


HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO,
Santa Fe, N. Mex., April 26, 1865.

Brigadier General JAMES H. Ford,

Commanding District of the Upper Arkansas, Fort Larned, Kans.:

GENERAL: I received a letter from Major-General Dodge, commanding Department of Kansas, stating that you would co-operate with me in giving protection to trains en route to and from New Mexico across the plains. I have sent two companies from Fort Bascom, on Red River, to escort trains by the Palo Duro route to Fort Larned, and not having available public transportation for those companies the owners of the trains carried the necessary supplies, so that these two companies will be at Fort Larned without transportation to return. I beg you will do me that favor to order that two first-rate teams for each of these companies be transferred to them to enable them to return. If you can conveniently do so, we would like for you to let us have the teams, to be receipted for and retained here. In this event the commanders of the companies alluded to can give the necessary receipts and transfer them to the quartermaster of their post on their arrival in New Mexico. In case you cannot do this, we will return the teams to you. I beg that you will direct the commanding officer at Fort Larned to return the companies belonging to New Mexico in the order of their arrival at his post, at least once in two weeks, escorting trains this way. Please cause him to notify these headquarters by mail of the date of departure of each company for New Mexico, the route it travels, and the trains it guards, so that we may know when to except it. If the train is a Government train I wish you would cause copies of its bills of landing to be transmitted at the same time, as a knowledge of what is on any one train that has passed Fort Larned and of the probable time if its arrival in New Mexico will be of great service. In return for these please call upon us for anything which we can do for you.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES H. CLARENTON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

NOTE. - Please order the company of the First Infantry New Mexico Volunteers now at Fort Lyon to proceed to Fort Union without delay.

J. H. C.


Page 218 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LX.