only a few vacancies to fill, and hundreds of applications backed by thousands of recommendations. Under such circumstances results are always uncertain.

Yours, truly,

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, November 29, 1862.

Major-General CURTIS, Saint Louis, Mo.:

Your communication of the 19th has been received* and submitted to the Secretary of War, who does not approve of your sending troops to Kansas, or your issuing arms or rations to Kansas militia. Your were within telegraphic reach of the War Department, and should not have assumed authority which belongs alone to that Department when you could readily have consulted it. All available troops, both in Kansas and Nebraska, not absolutely required there, should be sent down the Mississippi River.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

HDQRS. 2nd AND 3rd DIVISIONS, ARMY OF THE FRONTIER,
November 29, 1862.

Major General SAMUEL R. CURTIS, Saint Louis, Mo.:

The cavalry expedition sent by me to Yellville returned last evening, having made the march of 250 miles in less than five days. It was a complete success, and not only were all the saltpeter works in that section and at Dubuque destroyed, but the arsenal and store-houses of the rebels were burned. Sixty of Burbridge's command were taken prisoners, about 500 shot-guns and rifles at the arsenal were destroyed, and over 100 good horses brought out. The rebels have a large hospital at that place, and the inmates were paroled. The force usually congregated there is now south of West Plains. Our troops have left the place in such shape that I do not think the rebels with again attempt to make it a depot. The expedition consisted of the First Iowa Cavalry, the Tenth Illinois Cavalry, and one battalion of the Second Wisconsin, all under command of Colonel Wickersham, Tenth Illinois. This movement, with Blunt's victory at Cane Hill, effectually clears the north side of the mountains of all troops, except guerrillas.

F. J. HERRON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, Numbers 21.
Saint Louis, Mo., November 29, 1862.

The commanding general is informed that because some of the United States Reserve Corps have been mustered out, other troops of other names suppose they should be. There is no reason for such a claim. Other troops, not United States Reserve Corps, cannot be mustered out.

The Second Missouri Artillery was first enrolled as Home Guards, but, with their own consent, they were afterward regularly mustered in as three years' volunteers, by Lieutenant Sanford, U. S. Army, and

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*See Series I, Vol. XIII, p. 801.

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