COLUMBUS, MISS., May 26, 1865.

(Received 1. 15 p. m.)

Major-General CANBY:

Your dispatch just received. I will leave of the first train.

B. H. Grierson,

Brevet Major-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
New Orleans, May 26, 1865.

Major General N. P. BANKS,

Commanding Department of the Gulf, New Orleans, La.:

SIR: I have the honor, by direction of the major-general commanding, to inform you that the arrangements for the capitulation of the Confederate forces west of the Mississippi River have been concluded. All hostilities west of that river will therefore cease, and you are requested accordingly to instruct the respective commanders within the limits of your command.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS SOUTHERN DIVISION OF LOUISIANA,
Mew Orleans, May 26, 1865.

Lieutenant-Colonel CROSBY,

Aide-de-camp and Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Dept. of the Gulf:

Yours of yesterday was duly received, to which I will be able to quickly respond if I can know what operations are designed and what relations is to exist between said operating force and this department; or, in their words, on what line of operations hostilities be pursued, and whether said operations will directly or indirectly tend to cover in any way the La Fourche country. This is and important element in the calculation. If this department is to be left self-sustaining many more troops will be required than on the hypothesis that the lines of defense are to be covered by an operating army. It would be useless for me to attempt the report you required without being somewhat enlightened as to the general plans to be pursued.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. W. SHERMAN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, May 26, 1865.

[Brigadier General T. W. SHERMAN:]

GENERAL: Your letter is just received, and in answer I have the honor to state that the intention of my letter to you of yesterday was to gain from you a report as to the number of men you can spare from your command, excluding those west of the Mississippi River and including those troops now at Carrollton and at other points. From the semi-official news I get from General Canby's headquarters to-day I think that the forces west of the Mississippi will surrender