commanding directs that you send about fifty men under two good officers with instructions to proceed out Doctor Ford's road to the crossing of Grand Bayou, Bayou Corn, or Bayou Pierre Pass. At one of these places they will probably find a small squad of the Sixteenth Indiana Mounted Infantry, left in charge of a lot of their horses, while the main body of the detachment has gone forward dismounted. Your force will be instructed to approach this picket or squad very carefully to prevent a collision. Your force is for the purpose of re-enforcing this picket to prevent their capture, and to communication if possible with the dismounted detachment, informing them of Whitaker's probable coming, and that the left his boats in Bayou Pierre Pass when he entered the district. These boats should be captured and removed to Bayou Boeuf or destroyed, the former being preferable. Whittaker, finding his retreat cut off, my hide in the Pierre Pass country. He should be hunted out if possible. Your detachment should take at least three days' rations.

B. B. CAMPBELL,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, Saint Louis, Mo., April 4, 1865-11 a. m.

Brigadier-General BUSSEY,
Fort Smith:

Is there any news of the enemy in your quarter? Keep me posted, please.

G. M. DODGE,

Major-General.

HDQRS. THIRD Brigadier, THIRD DIV., SEVENTH ARMY CORPS, Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation, April 4, 1865.

Major General J. J. REYNOLDS,

Commanding Department of Arkansas, Little Rock, Ark.:

SIR: I returned a few days ago. I employed all the spare force of my command putting in crops or assisting the refugees to put in crops. I shall do so for two or three weeks. There is great suffering among the refugees. I shall endeavor to have beef driven form the south for them. Sales of subsistence, under the division commander's orders, had been made to those actively engaged raising crops, but General Bussey directs me to stop it, or issue to but few parties. As the Government has been subsisting them, I had throughout it well enough, until supplies could reach them by the river, for the Interior Department to let those who had money buy under the order at cost and carriage. I had designed issuing ten days' "refugee rations" to such as must have it, hoping that by that time supplies would reach here by river, and that it would enable them to put in crops. However, I countermanded the order on the instructions from Fort Smith. I wish that a supply of garden seeds and sweet and Irish potatoes, for seed, could be obtained and sent at once. If possible, I desire to see this community self-sustaining another year. I requested General Bussey to telegraph to you, requesting that supplies be sent by river for the refugees while the water was in stage. The Interior Department supplied them, but little has been brought down this winter. The small amount they have received has been hauled from Leavenworth at ruinous rates. This is