ask you to furnish me with your opinion in relation to affairs in Northwest Missouri. I know in former times you kept yourself posted in all such matters. Is this outbreak on the north side of the river a mere sporadic case of thieving and marauding that will disappear as suddenly as it appeared and without resulting in any serious injury, or is it the advent of an epidemic of the cholera of treason that will devastate the Northwest before it disappears? Send me an answer at your convenience.

Truly, your friend,

BENJ. F. LOAN.

P. S.-Remember me kindly to Major Heath if he is yet at your headquarters.

L.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO,
Santa Fe, N. Mex., July 17, 1864.

Captain HENRY B. BRISTOL,

Commanding at Fort Summer, N. Mex.:

CAPTAIN: I desire that you make once a week at least a report of the progress made in building by the employes and troops, and of the progress made in planting and attending to crops, and the appearance of the crops belonging to the Indians. Some 300 or 400 hoes have recently been sent to you. Do you absolutely need more; and if so, how many? The Rev. Mr. Hays has come back, and gives us the pleasing intelligence that he has engaged a priest and three lay brothers and some sisters to instruct the Indian children; and the Secretary of the Interior has written to the bishop of New Mexico that we shall have some assistance toward the establishing of the schools at Fort Sumner. Tell the Indians this. Now as the season is far advanced, and it is important to have school-rooms erected at the earliest practicable day, I wish you would consult with Colonel Carson and get the Indians to make a sufficient quantity of adobes to put up, say, eight good rooms for school purposes and for the teachers to live in. I want a site chosen for the school establishment near the post, and a plan carefully drawn for the different buildings. The rooms should, when all completed, occupy the four sides of a square. No one school-room should hold over 100 scholars. Now, all the rooms should face inward on the square or placita. Here the children could play. Suppose the square to be arranged so as to be to the same points of the compass as Fort Sumner. Now, the first rooms to be built this year should be those on the northern side, and if possible some on the east and west sides. Next year we could complete the square. It follows then that the whole plan should be carefully made and be framed and be kept at Fort Sumner to be built to from time to time until completed. It must be remembered that for at least 800 children, with rooms for teachers, &c., the establishment when done will be quite extensive. I wish you to study out this matter carefully and give expression to the idea by a well-considered plan with specifications. We will at once build as many of the rooms as we can. All we ask of the Indians is to make the adobes. If they help lay them they shall be paid for that part of the labor. The site should be so chosen that a fine large piece of ground can be set apart as a garden where the boys can be taught practically the art of raising fruit and vegetables. We have no time to lose.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES H. CARLETON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.