Should Your Excellency be able to send me an able general officer, I could give General Brown the presidency of a general court-martial which we have constantly in session here. General Brown's wishes and his health would both favor this change.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Major-General.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI.

OFFICE CHIEF OF CAVALRY,
Saint Louis, Mo., July 25, 1864.

Major General W. S. ROSECRANS,

Commanding Department of the Missouri:

GENERAL: After a careful inspection of the condition of affairs in the Central District of Missouri, pursuant to Special Orders, Numbers 193, from these headquarters I have the honor to report that great activity has been shown by Brigadier General E. B. Brown, from the beginning of the present raid in North Missouri until the present time. His troops have been constantly moving, and have been generally successful. I do not approve of the system of stationing troops in the towns which are strong enough to protect themselves. There are too many depots requiring too many men to guard them. Regimental headquarters should, I think, be in tents, and away from the towns, constituting a movable depot for the supply of troops in the field. General Brown's office was in fine condition. He has succeeded in organizing home guards in nearly all the counties, and I think his administration has been characterized by justice, and that many of the complaints against him arise from his refusing to mingle in the political squabbles of his district. As a soldier he has acted to the best of his ability. If he has failed the fault is in his appointment.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN V. DU BOIS,

Colonel and Aide-de-Camp.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, Numbers 139.
Saint Louis, Mo., August 5, 1864.

All orders heretofore issued from these headquarters prescribing the manner in which colored recruiting should be conducted in this department are hereby rescinded, and, until further orders, the recruiting for colored regiments will be performed by recruiting parties detailed by and receiving instructions and orders from Brigadier General Thomas Ewing, jr., U. S. Volunteers, in charge of the organization of colored regiments in this department.

By command of Major-General Rosecrans:

O. D. GREENE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CIRCULAR.] HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,

Saint Louis, August 5, 1864.

Commanding officers of districts will forward promptly to these headquarters, on the last day of each month, a consolidated estimate of the number of the enemy in and near the districts under their command,