Today in History:

1204 Series I Volume XLVIII-II Serial 102 - Powder River Expedition Part II

Page 1204 Chapter LX. LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI.

concluded. Select the detachment for this service and be sure to put a faithful officer in command of it, who will maintain discipline and insure that no bad conduct of his command and no outrages or wrongs to the Indians shall be committed. Perhaps General Sanborn himself will be the best officer for that service. All the rest of the force under his command You will please send back to Fort Leavenworth immediately for muster out. You can select Your cavalry regiment from Sanborn's command if You find it judicious. In designating this force for Your district it is assumed that the infantry regiments number not less than 800 men present for duty, and the cavalry regiment at least 1,200 men. All men absent from these regiments, sick, on furlough, or otherwise, except on duty in this department, will be mustered out. If You cannot find regiments having this effective force, retain another regiment of each arm of service, so as to make up the necessary force. Report by letter or telegraph to Major-General Dodge, U. S. Volunteers, who has general command west and south of the Missouri River, and in his absence on the plains report direct to these headquarters, furnishing General Dodge copies. You are to understand, general, that it is the purpose to reduce everything in Your district to a peace basis, and neither to keep troops nor make expenditures except such as are absolutely necessary. Your long experience on the frontier as an officer of the army, and Your known high character for integrity and efficiency, make me confident that You will carry out these instructions promptly and vigorously. It is confidently hoped that by October 1 Your command will be reduced to the force herein specified, and all the arrangements made which I have directed.

I am, general, respectfully, Your obedient servant,

JOHN POPE,

Major-General, Commanding.


HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., August 22, 1865.

Bvt. Major General E. UPTON, U. S. Volunteers,

Commanding District of Colorado:

GENERAL: The assistant adjutant-general will hand You the order assigning You to the command of the District of Colorado. * You will please proceed with as little delay as practicable, and by the route I indicated to You in conversation, to Denver City and enter upon the discharge of Your duties. It is believed that by the pacification of the Comanches, Kiowas, Arapahoes, and Apaches of the plains there will be little to apprehend from Indians in any portion of Your district east of the mountains. The Ute Indians in the mountain ranges west of Denver are not and have not been hostile, and if properly managed are not likely to become so. I desire that You direct Your attention to the immediate reduction of forces and expenditures in Your district to the utmost extent consistent with absolute necessity. You will probably need the following posts already established: First, Camp Fillmore, on the direct route from Fort Lyon to Denver City; second, Fort Garland, on the Trinchera, a few miles east of the Rio Grande; third, Camp Wardwell, eighty miles northeast of Denver City, on the route to Fort Kearny. The first of these posts (which is some miles north of the Pueblo, on the Upper Arkansas River) needs a garrison of one infantry and one cavalry company; the second (Fort Garland)

---------------

* See paragraph VII, August 22, p. 1201.

---------------


Page 1204 Chapter LX. LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI.