HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS.

Washington, December 15, 1864.

Brigadier General W. R. BOGGS.

Chief of Staff, &c.:

GENERAL: Major Rowley, chief engineer District of Arkansas informs me that the chief engineer Trans-Mississippi Department regards the construction of the earth-works on the Little Missouri as of the greatest importance, and suggests the detail of troops for that purpose. I would most respectfully represent that less than 400 working hands for this purpose are useless. Troops must be worked by reliefs; therefore 1,200 would have to be detailed to the desired points, and there are not supplies enough in that region for such a force. Negroes alone can do the work, as that number (400) can be supplied, though with difficulty. That the general commanding may be satisfied of my wish to build works by means of troops where it can be done, I have only to point to those of Camden, now completed, and to those of Fulton and Dooley's Ferry, about to be constructed by troops, and where supplies from them can be obtained. I would also respectfully call to your favorable attention the communications of Major W. W. Johnson chief Labor Bureau, dated October 5 and November 4, to department headquarters, asking that the counties of Hempstead, La Fayette, and Columbia, be reattached to the Labor Bureau of the District of Arkansas and for 1,000 to 1,500 negroes from Texas.

I remain, general, respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. B. MAGRUDER,

Major-General, Commanding District of Arkansas.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS, Numbers -.
Washington, December 16, 1864.

All officers and soldiers belonging to the commands of Marmaduke, Shelby, Clark, Jackman, Thompson, Freeman, Hunter, Tyler, and Wood will proceed to Red River and join forthwith their respective commands, which are encamped in the country between Laynesport and the vicinity of Richmond Sevier County.

All officers and men coming either in regiments, battalions, companies squads,or singly into this district from Missouri, unattached to either of the above-mentioned commands, will proceed forthwith and without delaying on the road to the headquarters of Price's army, at or in the vicinity of Richmond, and will be assigned temporarily by the commanding officer thereof to one of the commands in that neighborhood or near Laynesport.

Officers and soldiers of Dobbin's and McCray's brigades, Fagan's command, will assemble at Walnut Hill without delay; those of at camp twelve miles above Fulton; those of Slemons' brigade at Hamburg, Ashley County.

Brown's battalion, which is hereby attached to Brooks' command, will report forthwith to Colonel Brooks, near the mouth of Little River Ark., or wherever that command may be.

Officers of Price's army, including those of Major-General Fagan's command, are forbidden to give furloughs without the authority of department or district headquarters.

By command of Major General J. B. Magruder:

W. A. ALSTON.

Assistant Adjutant-General.