sufficient force, including organized citizens now in Keokuk, to repel any attack of guerrillas. There are no troops that can be possibly sent you. The department is badly off in that respect, and two regiments are now under orders to leave it for the South. The major-general commanding will immediately detail a general officer to go to the Southern Iowa border. I have the honor to be, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Maj. J. F. MELINE, J. F. MELINE, Major and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. [Inclosure.] HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT of Iowa, Davenport, Iowa, October 21, 1864. Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Dept. of the Northwest, Milwaukee, Wis.: MAJOR: Yours of the 19th instant, inclosing the letter of J. M. Hiatt, mayor of Keokuk, relative to the troubles on the southern border of Iowa, and directing me to ascertain facts in the case, has just been received. I at once consulted with Adjutant-General Baker in regard to the matter. His opinion is that the militia, if they organize themselves, are fully able to protect their border. Í received from General Baker a statement of the strength of the militia in the southern tier of counties of this State; also the number of companies armed, &c., which I have the honor to transmit herewith. It seems to me that the militia which have received arms in these southern counties, if they have anything like an organization, should be fully able to protect their border. General Baker also informs me that the force of organized and armed militia in the next tier of counties is still stronger than in the counties reported. General Baker is forwarding arms and ammunition to the southern counties daily. Although General Baker thinks the force strong enough, he is anxious that I should go down and examine into the matter personally, but as I was on the court-martial here I did not feel at liberty to go without distinct orders. Please instruct me if I shall go to Keokuk. I will inform you by telegraph if anything of importance happens. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, EDWARD P. TEN BROECK, Major Sixth Iowa Cavalry, in Charge of Hdqrs. Dist. of Iowa. [Sub-inclosure.] List showing the organization, &c., of the State militia in the southern tier of counties of the State of Iowa, October 21, 1864. Major Sixth Iowa Cavalry, in Charge of Hdqrs. Dist. of Iowa. WASHINGTON, October 22, 1864–1.30 a. m. Lieutenant-General GRANT, City Point, Va.: I had prepared instructions to General Canby to move all available forces in Mobile Bay and elsewhere to Brunswick, and cut the Savannah and Gulf Railroad, as directed by you on the 13th; but, on learning that Sherman's operations were uncertain, I withheld the order. I learn to-day that General Canby left New Orleans about the 15th for Arkansas, and will receive communications at mouth of White River. Shall I now send to him your orders of the 13th, in regard to the Georgia movement? He is of opinion that Price's movement into Missouri was partly intended to draw our forces in that direction, so that a part of Magruder's army could cross the Mississippi and re-enforce Hood. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Staff. SOUTHWEST PASS, October 22, 1864. (Received 12.40 p. m.) Maj. Gen. E. R. S. CANBY: I reached this Pass at 12 yesterday. Thirteen officers and 120 soldiers on board. Left New York on 13th. The elections in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania largely Republican. Army news from Grant, Sheridan, and Sherman in every particular satisfactory. B. S. ROBERTS, Brigadier-General of Volunteers. HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Maj. Gen. E. R. S. CANBY, Comdg. Mil. Div. of West Mississippi, New Orleans, La.: GENERAL: I have the honor to submit to your consideration a statement of the information received at this office this 22d day of October, 1864, from the following source, a report from Lieut. G. G. Curtiss, Baton Rouge, La., October 18: Lieutenant Curtiss confirms the report that General Hodge has assumed command of the District of South Mississippi and East Louisiana, with headquarters at Liberty, La. Dumonteil's regiment, 200 strong, has been transferred to this district. Captain Prime's jayhawkers on the west bank of the Mississippi have been broken up and ordered to join other commands. Squads of rebels are reported crossing and recrossing the river a few miles above Baton Rouge, La. Measures have been taken to capture them. John L. Bannister, Company B, Third Maryland Cavalry, lately escaped from Shreveport, was not able to give any important information. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, FRANK W. MARSTON, Major, Signal Corps, U. S. Army, Commanding. NEW ORLEANS, October 22, 1864. Lieut. Col. C. T. CHRISTENSEN, Assistant Adjutant-General: COLONEL: I have just received the following dispatch: Captain FULLER: OPPOSITE DONALDSONVILLE, October 22, 1864. The rebels, supposed to number nearly 100, plundered the Home Farm, Miles Taylor's plantation, six miles below on the bayon, last night, cutting the Napoleonville telegraph line; how bad I do not know. Will send out men to fix it. Very respectfully, W. F. FRENCH, Operator. W. G. FULLER, Captain, Assistant Quartermaster and Assistant Superintendent. [Indorsement.] Copy furnished General Hurlbut, October 22, 1864, with remark that these rebels are probably portion of Quantrill's command mentioned in General Lawler's dispatch. Maj. GEORGE B. DRAKE, Assistant Adjutant-General : THIBODEAUX, October 22, 1864. Last night a party of guerrillas, supposed to be Whitaker's gang, about 125 strong, made a raid upon the La Fourche country, crossing the bayou just above Paincourtville, carrying off a number of mules and other property. I have sent a gun-boat with 150 infantry up Bayou Little Pigeon to the head of Grand River to intercept them in that direction. I have also sent a gun-boat up Belle River with fifty infantry to cut off their retreat toward Lake Palourde, should they undertake to go that way. The whole available force at Napoleonville are in pursuit in their rear. I would send a party of cavalry from Donaldson ville by the way of Bayou Goula and the Park down Grand River to intercept them in that direction, but the commanding officer at that post telegraphs me that he has but twenty-five cavalry in camp. Plaquemine ought to be included in this command. With a battalion of cavalry at that place and a telegraph communication from Donaldsonville we could either prevent these raids or be certain of capturing the parties making them. R. A. CAMERON, • Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding District. HEADQUARTERS DEFENSES OF NEW ORLEANS, Brigadier-General CAMERON, Thibodeaux: New Orleans, October 22, 1864. Brigadier-General Sherman desires you to have Whitaker's gang so rapidly and surely pursued as not to fail finding out where they crossed and how they got into your country, so as to prevent it as far as possible in the future. FREDERIC SPEED, Colonel HARRIS: HEADQUARTERS LA FOURCHE DISTRICT, Send a gun-boat with fifty infantry if you can spare them, three days' rations and sixty rounds of ammunition, up to the head of Belle River to lay for twenty-four hours for the purpose of intercepting Whitaker's gang, should they undertake to escape that way. By command of Brigadier-General Cameron: B. B. CAMPBELL, Assistant Adjutant-General. Colonel HARRIS, HEADQUARTERS LA FOURCHE DISTRICT, Commanding, Brashear City: Have a gun-boat sent up Little Bayou Pigeon with 150 infantry as far as Micheltre's place as soon as possible to cut off Whitaker's party of guerrillas who made a raid on the La Fourche last night. Give them eighty rounds of ammunition and five days' rations, so that they can wait and fight them. My two good scouts will be upon the train to go on the boat. Send the best men you have in the command. By command of Brigadier-General Cameron: B. B. CAMPBELL, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS LA FOURCHE DISTRICT, Colonel HARRIS, Commanding, Brashear City: The general commanding suggests that the gun-boats take with them several small boats to be used in case of necessity. Arrest and send to these headquarters one Brown, living on Grand River. Have the commanding officer of the expedition notify Micheltre that he will be arrested and severely punished if a guerrilla is found on his place, or if he is known to harbor any of them in future. The commanding officer of the expedition will not allow our men, Decker and Newman, to be seen by the citizens. They will be known to Brown or other only as prisoners. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, B. B. CAMPBELL, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. Colonel SAYLES, HEADQUARTERS LA FOURCHE DISTRICT, Third Rhode Island Cavalry, Commanding Napoleonville: The party your forces were pursuing are reported by the commanding officer at Donaldsonville to number but sixty men, and they cannot number more than 100. You will send out as early as 4 a. m. to-morrow at least 120 men, with four days' rations and forty rounds of ammunition per man, in pursuit of them. Should they take the road to Bay Natchez your command will follow them that far. Should they take the military road your command will follow them as far as Bayou Goula and the Park. The officer in command will make every effort to ascertain how they came into the district, that they may be prevented in future. By order of Brigadier-General Cameron: Major BEEBE, B. B. CAMPBELL, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS LA FOURCHE DISTRICT, Commanding, Donaldsonville: From the tenor of a dispatch received from you this p. m. the general commanding thinks you have failed to notify him from time to time of the appearance or movements of the enemy, as directed to do by orders from these headquarters. All movements of the enemy or suspicious occurrences of any nature must be promptly reported to these headquarters by telegraph, and all refugees or deserters coming within our lines anywhere in your jurisdiction must be forwarded at once to these headquarters for examination. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major BEEBE, B. B. CAMPBELL, Taptain and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS LA FOURCHE DISTRICT, Thibodeaux, La., October 22, 1864—11 p. m. Commanding, Donaldsonville: Send Company I, Third Rhode Island Cavalry, to report to Major Davis at Paincourtville, with four days' rations and forty rounds of ammunition, at 5 a. m. to-morrow. Brig. Gen. M. L. SMITH, R. A. CAMERON, Brigadier-General, Commanding District. Memphis: NEW ORLEANS, October 22, 1864. I have received from General Reynolds your dispatch of the 16th in relation to an anticipated attack upon Memphis by Forrest. The transfer of troops from the mouth of White River to Memphis is approved, and General Reynolds will be instructed to furnish from the troops under his command any further assistance that may be neces sary. I apprehend, however, that some of the movements reported are demonstrations to favor the crossing of the Mississippi, the order for which has recently been renewed by Jefferson Davis. I have information from Mobile of the 18th which shows that such demonstrations are now being made. E. R. S. CANBY, Major-General, Commanding. |