River, with directions to remain in his district and guard against dangers in my rear which some thought would be assailed by a rise in North Missouri, aided by a portion of Price's troops that had crossed to the north side of the Missouri and taken Colonel Harding's force at Glasgow:

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF KANSAS, Numbers 55.
Fort Leavenworth, Kans., October 10, 1864.

The following temporary assignments to duty are published to the command. They will be obeyed and respected accordingly:

I. Major F. E. Hunt, chief paymaster, is also appointed acting aide-de-camp, and will take charge and command of all artillery in and near the town of Leavenworth, consistent with the general arrangements of district commanders General Blunt and Davies.

II. Major Henry Almstedt, in addition to his duties as additional paymaster, will report to Major F. E. Hunt for artillery duty.

III. Honorable James H. Lane, having tendered his services to the major-general commanding, they are accepted and he is assigned to duty as volunteer aide-de-camp.

IV. Captain James L. Rafety, Second Kansas Colored, having reported for duty, will take charge of the general organization and command of persons of African descent. All of proper age and ability are included in the proclamation, and will be organized as other troops for immediate service.

V. Captain J. M. Mentzer, Second Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, reports being here en route and unable to reach his command. He will report for temporary duty to Brigadier General T. A. Davies, commanding District of North Kansas.

VI. Rev. J. B. McAfee, chaplain Second Kansas Colored, having reported for duty, will have charge of contrabands in the field, and will report to Captain Rafety as acting adjutant in the organization of troops of African descent.

By command of Major-General Curtis:

C. S. CHARLOT,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

The Governor and Major-General Deitzler called on me to ascertain my purpose as to taking the militia out of the State, expressing apprehensions of difficulty on that point if such was my purpose. They also informed me that expressions of some of my officers had led them to distrust the whole matter of the militia movement, supposing it might be a political scheme gotten u by some around me to transport the people beyond the convenient exercise of their elective franchise, which would come off early in the next month. These were shocking enunciations. I assured these officers that in all human probability we might have to go beyond the State lines, and I considered my proclamation of martial law and call sufficient to cover the legal point as to the militia going beyond the border, but the raising of the question was of itself a great element of discord and danger. As to my attempt to defraud the ballot-box such an idea had never been mooted in my presence or entered my brain, and I pledged my honor that the militia should go no farther than necessary to repel or avert the approaching danger to the State. my manner and matter appeared to assure these officers, who by their position and influence held, as I conceived, the destiny of the State and department within their own hands. I name this, not to complain or reproach these officers, but because such sentiments were the natural offspring of the political crisis and separate State organization of all our militia. These difficulties, candidly presented by these high State authorities, were material, formidable obstacles which I and they had to encounter. They are inherent objections to the military organization of national forces, and I report them as developments incident to the events of this revolution, and important in the progress of this campaign against the rebel General Price. Being assured of my purpose, these officers promised hearty co-operation and gave immediate orders for the militia to proceed to points designated