Today in History:

633 Series I Volume XXXIV-II Serial 62 - Red River Campaign Part II

Page 633 Chapter XLVI. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.

SAINT LOUIS, MO., March 16, 1864.

Major General W. T. SHERMAN,

Louisville, Ky.:

I wanted to have General Ewing see you in reference to a plan for combining all the Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri troops, with co-operation from Banks, to sweep the country west of the Mississippi clear to the Gulf, including Texas ultimately. Your approving judgment would probably determine that which would be productive of great advantage to the service. We are now all standing guard at once. The aggressive would change all that.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Major-General.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, [March] 16, 1864.

Colonel W. A. PHILLIPS,

Fort Gibson, via Fayetteville.

Have directed General Blunt, now commanding district at Fort Smith, troops in my department must not move out without my orders, orders from my superiors, or on some temporary duty or necessity, from which they should return as soon as possible.

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, COLORADO TERRITORY,

Denver, March 16, 1864.

Colonel J. M. CHIVINGTON,

Commanding District of Colorado:

SIR: I inclose for your consideration extracts from a letter received from Major S. G. Colley, Indian agent, Upper Arkansas, relating to threatened Indian hostilities, and request that a copy thereof be sent to department headquarters.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

JNO. EVANS,

Governor and Ex Officio Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

[Inclosure.]

Extracts from a letter received by Governor Evans from Major S. G. Colley, Indian Agent, Upper Arkansas Agency, dated March 12, 1864.

I found the Indians all quiet at Fort Larned, but the Arapahoes and Cheyennes still insist the the Sioux will make a raid on the settlements on the Arkansas and Platte Rivers some time during the spring or early in the summer. A small party of Arapahoes and Cheyennes went against a party of Utes who wee encamped on the Saint Charles and succeeded in running off 50 or 60 ponies belonging to the Utes. The Utes pursued them and overtook them on an island, some 5 or 6 miles above this place, killed 3 Cheyennes and 1 Arapahoe, and retook all their ponies.

While at Fort Larned I learned that there was a prospect of a war between the Arapahoes and the Kiowas. Last fall 4 Arapahoes accompanied the Kiowas on one of their raids into Texas. The Kiowas returned without the Araphoes and brought one scalp, which they said belonged to a Shawnee which they had killed. The Arapahoes


Page 633 Chapter XLVI. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.