Today in History:

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

Page 540 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LX.

cavalry force to Devil's Lake against some bands of hostile Indians, but it will be useless to do so unless we can obtain this permission, as Indians are only a few miles south of British line and can retreat into British territory as soon as troops get near them. We cannot have entire peace on Minnesota frontier unless we can pursue hostile Indians into British territory and the English will prevent British subject from furnishing hostile Indians with means to commit hostilities.

JOHN POPE,

Major-General, Commanding.

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 22, 1865-7 p. m.

Major-General POPE,

Saint Louis, Mo.:

General Reynolds need not accompany the troops from Arkansas. He cannot probably be well replaced in that State. The quartermaster will send you 2,700 horses as fast as possible.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.


HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., May 22, 1865.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

General-in-Chief:

GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit inclosed copies of dispatches received from Generals Dodge and Reynolds. * The bushwhackers and guerrillas in Missouri and Arkansas are rapidly coming in and surrendering. There will be peace and quiet in Missouri and Northern Arkansas, I think, very shortly, provided the people do not persecute and maltreat those who have been in the rebel army and the bush, but who have surrendered and are coming in to surrender. I will endeavor to keep down any such exhibition of hostility. Since I last wrote you three of the mail stations on the Overland Route have been attacked, but the assailants were repulsed. These stations are this side of Fort Kearny, and actually within the white settlements, where no danger was apprehended. There are some singular circumstances connected with these attacks which render it considerably more than doubtful whether Indians had anything to do with them. The settlers had no knowledge that there were any hostile Indians in the country. Nothing singular that none of the white settlements or settlers were molested. I need not tell you that there are a great many lawless rascals roaming about the country; particularly is this the case along the Kansas border. Thousands of disloyal men have left Missouri for the Idaho and Colorado mines and are now scattered about the frontier. I have little doubt that if a good opportunity presented, these roving, reckless men would attack a train or mail coach and station. I am investigating these last attacks, and I very much incline to the belief that they will be found to have been made by white men or half-breeds. General dodge, anticipating no danger this side of Fort Kearny, had ordered all trains

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*See Reynolds to Bell, May 16, p. 466; Pratt to Dodge, May 16, p. 472; Fletcher to Dodge, May 19, p. 509; Denny to Dodge, May 19, p. 512; Mitchell to Dodge, May 20, p. 523; Harding to Dodge, May 21, p. 528; Harding to Dodge, May 22, p. 545; and Sanborn to Dodge, May 22, p. 549.

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Page 540 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LX.