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up to Tigerville with the mail at least every other day and have a heroic messenger wade through the swamp from there to Terre Bonne. I cannot spare the Cornie oftener than that, as she is needed here for so many other purposes, and the Little Tommy is in constant use as a picket-boat. I will have the commanding officer of each station in the road keep a party out to keep up the telegraph line, if possible, also. The water has just reached at this 10 a. m. the platforms of the guns in the water battery and we must move them by 2 o'clock this day. Two 32-pounder Parrotts will be mounted in the redoubt covering the river. At Fort Buchanan the sally-port is being dammed up and the terreplein will be kept dry by means of pumps.

Very respectfully,

R. A. CAMERON, Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding District.

General HERRON:

NEW ORLEANS, May 11, 1865.

GENERAL: There are no horses to be procured for the cavalry at Baton Rouge. General West is organizing a command for Texas or some other place, which precludes the possibility of securing a single horse. General Canby is expected here to-morrow. I shall wait his coming. Will make proper representations and proceed to Baton Rouge thereafter by first boat.

Yours,

Capt. W. H. CLAPP,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

J. F. KNIPE,
Brigadier-General.

PORT HUDSON, May 11, 1865.

The road from here to Jackson is in a fair condition. There is but one bridge on this road, which is about two miles from here. I will have that repaired immediately. Lieutenant-Colonel Mitchell returned from Clinton this morning. The citizens say they think Davis crossed the river about three days ago above Bayou Sara. Heard nothing about Colonel Scott. Says that there is quite a number of officers and men at Clinton waiting for Colonel Monroe.

CYRUS HAMLIN, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Captain CLAPP,

PORT HUDSON, May 11, 1865-11 p. m.

Assistant Adjutant-General:

SIR: The following information was sent me to-day by a loyal citizen. That part of it which refers to the crossing of General Hood is, I think, correct: Jeff. Davis staid at Centerville last Sunday night. Hood was at Liberty. Hood crossed the river at Tunica on Tuesday night, attended by Colonels Cunningham and Graham. I hear from a number of sources that Davis crossed the river early in the week. I can get nothing definite, but the impression that he has got over is general

among the citizens. This is confirmed by the fact that Davis' nephew, Captain Bradford, surrendered himself to-day. Colonel Marks, of the Twenty-second Louisiana, also came in to-day, and says he has no doubt Davis has escaped. I shall send Bradford to Baton Rouge to be tried as a guerrilla. I shall remain here until 12 o'clock for any instructions the commanding general may have to give me. Shall I consider the Fourteenth New York Cavalry relieved by Colonel Fonda's command? No report from Colonel Fonda to-night.

Very respectfully,

WM. H. DICKEY, Colonel, Commanding District of Morganza.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Memphis, Tenn., May 11, 1865.

Maj. Gen. N. J. T. DANA,

Commanding Department of Mississippi: GENERAL: At the request of Major-General Canby, on the 8th instant, I sent a force of 500 cavalry under Col. Otto Funke to garrison Grenada. I am repairing the telegraph as rapidly as possible, and in a few days the connection with Mobile will be completed, via La Grange, Holly Springs, and Jackson. I have a small garrison at Senatobia, and shall send a small detachment to Holly Springs to assist in preserving the peace.

I am, general, your obedient servant,

C. C. WASHBURN,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., May 11, 1865.

Lieut. Gen. U. S. GRANT,

General-in-Chief, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit, inclosed, a letter to the Secretary of War on business of much importance to this State. May I request that you deliver it into his hands for such action as he deems judicious?

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JNO. POPE,
Major-General, Commanding.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI,

Hon. E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

Saint Louis, Mo., May 10, 1865.

DEAR SIR: A mass of papers concerning the destruction of the property of Dr. J. M. Martin, a loyal citizen of Callaway County, Mo., a year or two since, has been received at the headquarters Department of the Missouri with an indorsement of Hon. C. A. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War, directing General Dodge to assess the secession sympathizers in Callaway County the full amount of the damages. I beg leave to represent respectfully that under the policy I have pursued in this State, which was approved, and upon which I was instructed to proceed by the late President of the United States, that part of Missouri north of the Missouri River has already passed into the control

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of the civil authorities of the State, all troops and provost-marshals being withdrawn. Five counties south of the Missouri River have also been relieved from the operation of martial law, and the whole State is gradually and surely passing into the hands of its proper civil officers and laws. Of course, this result is all important, and it was the distinct understanding with the late President that to render this policy successful, all complaints of citizens of the State of Missouri against each other should be referred to the Governor of the State and by him settled or otherwise dealt with. Up to this time this policy has been steadily pursued and the beneficial results are very perceptible and highly encouraging. The order contained in the indorsement of Hon. Mr. Dana entirely upsets the whole policy and requires the immediate re-establishment of martial law and the replacement of troops and provost-marshals in North Missouri. The State is thus thrown back into the condition of uncertainty, confusion, and disorder which characterized it six months ago. There is no doubt that the execution of this order will create great dissatisfaction among the great mass of citizens and the Governor and other civil officers of the State. There are certainly at the lowest estimate 50,000 loyal persons in this State who have suffered precisely as Dr. J. M. Martin has suffered and whose claims are equally strong. Of course, as soon as it is known that Doctor Martin's claim has been settled all other sufferers will throng in with their claims, and if they are not satisfied in the same manner there will be infinite clamor and dissatisfaction and the War Department will be thronged with these claimants from this time forth. Thousands and thousands of fraudulent claims will be presented which must be adjudicated. This order opens the whole subject of compensation to loyal men for losses in the war, and if such compensation is to be made by assessing secession sympathizers, some system should be adopted for the investigation of claims and the imposition and collection of assessments. Who is to determine the validity of claims as to the facts and the amounts? Who is to determine who are the secession sympathizers, and the amounts to be levied on each? Who is to receive and disburse these amounts to claimants?

In truth, this order opens the whole field of controversy on this subject, or rather, having determined the mode of compensation in the case of Doctor Martin, this indorsement of the Hon. Mr. Dana settles the fact that the loyal citizens of the United States are to be reimbursed for losses of property, &c., in the war, and that the manner of compensation shall be assessments of the disloyal, to be made and collected by provost-marshals or other military agents. I need not tell you that the execution of this order in the case of Doctor Martin will be considered an announcement of the policy of the Government in such cases, and will most certainly be followed by the immediate presentation of not less than 50,000 other cases of the same character from Missouri alone, which must in common justice be settled in the same manner. It is not easy to convey to you an idea of the excitement which the execution of this order in Missouri will produce. Scarcely a man will consider his property safe, since his loyalty or disloyalty or Southern sympathy is after all to be determined by provost-marshals or the military agents, not all of whom are above taking bribes. I am very sure the present loyal State Executive and civil officers of Missouri will be bitterly opposed to the execution of this order. While I stand prepared to execute any orders of the War Department, I think it my duty to invite attention to a state of facts and a state of feeling and opinion which will produce consequences of the gravest and most perplexing character. My opinion is entirely against the execution of this order or other

exceptional orders of like character. Being on the spot and well acquainted with the condition of affairs in Missouri, I do not hesitate to say that the execution of this order will lead to unfortunate consequences. I have, therefore, deferred its execution until I receive further orders on the subject from you. Perhaps it may not be improper for me to say that until some general policy upon this subject is determined upon and laid down by the General Government it will be better to take no action on such claims, or when they arise in a State like Missouri, which has a loyal State Executive and civil officers, to refer them to the Governor of the State. These questions between citizens of Missouri can for the present be settled more to the satisfaction of the people by their State authorities than by exceptional orders from the Government to cover individual cases. I trust, therefore, that until some general policy is determined on all controversies or claims in which citizens of Missouri are parties will be referred to the Governor of the State for such action as he may deem judicious. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. POPE, Major-General, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS,
No. 15.

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HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., May 11, 1865.

The following extract from orders of the War Department is published for the information and guidance of all concerned in this military division:

GENERAL ORDERS,

No. 77.

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WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-General's OFFICE,
Washington, D. C., April 28, 1865.

For reducing expences of the military establishment.

Ordered:

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VI. All officers and enlisted men who have been prisoners of war, and now on furlough or at the parole camps, and all recruits in rendezvous, except those for the Regular Army, and the First Army Corps (Hancock's) will likewise be honorably discharged. Officers whose duty it is under the regulations of the service to make out rolls and other final papers connected with the discharge and payment of soldiers are directed to make them out without delay, so that this order may be carried into effect immediately. Commanding generals of armies and departments will look to the prompt execution of this work.

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Maj. Gen. J. J. REYNOLDS,

Baton Rouge, La., May 11, 1865.

Commanding Department of Arkansas, Little Rock: GENERAL: I send you herewith the report of your scout, C. S. Bell, which he left with me on his arrival at this place, requesting that Í forward the same to you.

I have the honor to be, general, your most obedient servant,
F. J. HERRON,
Major-General.

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[Inclosure.]

Report of C. S. Bell, scout.

I left Little Rock, Ark., January 1, 1865, at 6 a. m. By a long detour I gained the Benton road, about ten miles distant from Little Rock. This detour was necessary from the fact of there being a rebel flag of truce at that time at the pickets on the Benton road. I reached Benton, twenty-five miles southwest of Little Rock, at 7 p. m.

The 2d, about 10 a. m., I left Benton in company with the flag of truce, which had come up an hour previously in charge of Lieut. Col. John P. Bull, of Morgan's regiment of Arkansas (rebel) cavalry. Crossing the Saline two miles farther on, we made a point six miles north of Rockport, which is twenty-two miles from Benton. I find, much to my surprise, that two ladies, Mrs. Shaver, wife of the rebel commander at Camden, and Mrs. Cravens, wife of Major Cravens, of an Arkansas command (rebel), who were at Major-General Reynolds' headquarters a few days since, and were positively refused passes, are with the flag. They recognize me, but as they know nothing I feel easy on that score. I remained all night with Judge Miller, two miles north of Rockport; the flag four miles farther north still.

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At 8 a. m. the 3d of January, in company with the flag, I passed on southward. I find the country hence to Arkadelphia, seventy-six miles distant from Little Rock, utterly destitute of forage or even supplies for the inhabitants. But few people live on the road. The flag halted in the edge of the bottom about eight miles north of Arkadelphia and remained all night. I remained. at the house of James Barkman, in Arkadelphia. There is but a picket guard here. We came the east road; that is, we did not cross at Rockport, but kept east of the Washita until arriving at Arkadelphia. Road good and no bridges broken down.

January 4, started at 10 a. m. and reached a point twenty miles southwest. Remained with a Captain Reed. Country still destitute; timber, pine; roads hard and no broken bridges.

January 5, started at 6 a. m.; rainy. Reached Washington at 5 p. m. Good fords at Antoine and Wolf Creeks, respectively, sixteen and nineteen miles northeast of Washington. Little Missouri bottom bad for four miles; ford good. Learned that Price was in Texas on sixty days' furlough. Half of the cavalry to be dismounted. Magruder superintends the dismounting at Fulton, fourteen miles distant. I remained at Washington until the 15th. I had a very satisfactory interview with Magruder near Fulton on the 8th. He promised me all I desired, and was very cordial indeed. I was to leave Washington on the 16th for Shreveport to pursue my mission. The evening of the 15th, however, as I was passing the guard-house, I was recognized by one W. R. Delaney, a deserter from the Eleventh Texas (rebel) cavalry, who had for a year past resided at Pine Bluff and Little Rock, and who was in the confidence of the post commander at the latter place. He had in 1862 killed his lieutenant-colonel in an altercation near Corinth, Miss., and been compelled in consequence to seek safety in flight. He located at Pine Bluff on its capture by our army, and is well known there as a desperate gambler. He saw me on the steamer Emma No. 2, while on White River, destined for Devall's Bluff, in December, 1864. About the time I left Little Rock this scoundrel also left on the post commander's pass, good "till further orders." He also had the oath of allegiance and an amnesty oath. After leaving Little Rock his intention was to proceed to Kaufman County, Tex., and obtain certain

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