North of the Arkansas River, at and east of Came Hill, are Brooks' regiment, Arkansas, 600; Buck Brown's command, 400-1,000; and Adair's, 200; making an aggregate of 8,000 troops serving in this vicinity. These estimates are derived from information furnished by deserters, refugees, and others, and are approximately correct. The rebel troops in the Indian Territory are nearly all mounted. They appear to be in a very good state of discipline and are well armed, principally with infantry muskets. They depend for subsistence upon fresh beef found in the country, with corn meal and flour. Their clothing is very poor and insufficient in quantity.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN M. THAYER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH CORPS,
Vicksburg, October 15, 1864.

Major General O. O. HOWARD,

Commanding Department and Army of the Tennessee:

GENERAL: Your letter of the 29th ultimo, together with Special Orders 219 and 221, were placed in my hands yesterday afternoon by Colonel Wilson. I was greatly surprised, not having had any suspicion or anticipation of the intended changes. I desire to express my warm acknowledgement for the honor you do me and the confidence you repose in me. It shall be my aim to exercise myself to the full extent of my ability to met and fulfill your wishes and aid you in the performance of your high and difficult trust. I fear very much yo will be disappointed in expectations of an immediate and rapid organization and of having strong movable force-any movable force either here or at Memphis. I shall hasten to accomplish all your wishes, but circumstances beyond your information in Georgia and beyond my control here have conspired to place affairs in a very different attitude from what evidently, from your orders, you expected. I beg you will be prepared to make great allowance for even in getting a report of the Sixteenth Corps, and that you will believe I shall complete its organization and establish myself at Memphis at the earliest possible moment. I am now necessarily commanding the post and this district, and have even the scantiest staff for that. The most valuable officers have ben taken away from here by superior authority since I came. I cannot hear that there is any remnant of the staff of the Sixteenth Corps, except Lieutenant-Colonel Harris, who was adjutant-general, and is said to be at present mayor of Memphis. I have ordered him to report here to me and to collect and bring the records if there [are] any. I have published an order assuming command and ordered reports to be sent in.* I am informed that Brigadier General Morgan L. Smith is on duty at Memphis and I have ordered General Washburn to send him here immediately, so that I may put him in command of this post. It will not be well for me to leave this district till Major-General Doge arrives, and I have thought it essential to establish headquarters here for the present, but with the intention of complying with you wishes in moving to Memphis at the earliest moment consistent with the public interest-that will be, I presume, immediately on the arrival of General Dodge, or, if he delays, after I shall have seen General Smith fairly started in the new

*See General Orders, Numbers 44, Vol. XXXIX, Part III, p. 304.