Mitchell, Fourteenth Arkansas Infantry; strength, 939; present, 891. Churchill, First Arkansas Mounted Rifles; strength, 882; present, 682,

McIntosh, Second Arkansas Mounted Rifles; strength, 722; present, 553.

E. Greer, Third Texas Cavalry; strength, 1,020; present, 747.

B. Warren Stone, Sixth Texas Cavalry; strength, 935; present, 865.

Whitfield, Texas battalion cavalry; strength, 339; present, 315.

McRae, Texas battalion infantry; strength, 358; present, 228.

Good, Texas battery artillery; strength, 109; present, 103.

Hart, Arkansas battery artillery; strength, 75; present, 75.

Provence, Arkansas battery artillery; strength, 73; present, 73.

Bennett, Texas company cavalry; strength, 83; present, 78.

Nine companies Arkansas infantry; strength, 585; present, 585; now being organized into a regiment.

Ten companies Arkansas infantry; strength, 650; present, 650; now being organized into a regiment.

Sims, Texas regiment cavalry; not yet reported.

Young, Texas regiment cavalry; strength, 850; present, 850; now yet reported.

Total strength present and absent, 8,964; total strength present, 7,676.

Colonels Sims' and Young's and nineteen companies infantry reported since November 1, 1861.

FRANK C. ARMSTRONG,

Adjutant-General of Division.

RICHMOND, VA., December 25, 1861.

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War:

SIR: I call your special attention to the inclosed slip,* containing important news, in the main reliable, from the Indian country.

I do not believe that Hopoeithlayohola has with him more than 2,000 or 3,000 men, but I suppose may have increased to the latter number.

The dispersion of Colonel Drew's Cherokee regiment I have no doubt is truly reported, but I do not believe that many of his men have joined the malcontents, and attribute the dispersion of the regiment to the reluctance of the Cherokees to fight against their neighbors, the Creeks. I found that feeling strong among them in October, when the regiment was called together to march into the Creek country to the aid of Colonel McIntosh's Creek regiment, then threatened by Hopoeithlayohola. The adjutant of the regiment spoke freely to me of his reluctance to do so, and I did not doubt that he only uttered the sentiments of the people.

The Cherokees and Creeks are neighbors, and the former are very desirous of maintaining their present friendly relations. They have long had a treaty between themselves by which they can settle in each other's country, and many of each nation are domiciled and married in the country of the other. The Cherokees naturally fear that if they fight any part of the Creeks the feud will last between them for many years after our difficulties are settled.

I was very reluctant to employ Indians against Indians, and espe-

*Not found.