such a campaign your meat ration will be taken on the hoof, and you need only sugar and coffee, flour (or hard bread), and salt to be transported in your wagons. Celerity of movement, as I need not suggest to you, is all-important on such expeditions; with much infantry and large wagon-trains, this would be next to impossible. Please make every arrangement to move at the earliest moment, and I call your attention again to an increase of the cavalry force. You will have to mount some of your infantry for the purpose, but as the main object is to transport your forces with the greatest rapidity from one point to another, this arrangement will answer. In have endeavored to have some disposition made of the prisoners, so as to relieve the military of any charge of them, but, so far, unsuccessful. I will write again to the Government, and send your letter. Please write me fully, and give me all possible information concerning the Chippewas. I will write you fully as soon as full preparations are made for the campaign.

Very respectfully, and truly, yours,

JNO. POPE,

Major- General, Commanding.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., February 18, 1863.

Major- General CURTIS:

We are now sending 50 miles north and west of this place for forage, and our teams are being rapidly worn out by this immense labor. I must move my entire command at least 50 miles north from here, or else cross White River as soon as possible. I am decidedly in favor of the latter, and do not see any danger in such a move. Two weeks more delay will place my command about 100 miles from Forsyth in the wrong direction. If you insist upon longer delay, I must, of course, submit, but I deem it my duty to give you the facts as clearly as possible, and my views of what should be done. Even now it will be very difficult to collect forage enough to last while crossing the river and reaching the nearest forage beyond. When it shall all be gone for a distance of 80 or 100 miles from Forsyth, you can easily estimate the practicability of that route. The move now is barely possible. A short time hence it will cost more mules than I have with the army.

J. M. SCHOFIELD,

Major- General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE NORTHWEST,
Milwaukee, Wis., February 18, 1863.

Colonel J. C. KELTON,

Assistant Adjutant- General, Headquarters of the Army:

COLONEL: I have the honor to state, for the information of the General-in Chief, that reports from General Sibley, from the Indian agents,and from other respectable persons on the frontier have ben received here, and these reports all concur in representing that extensive preparations and combinations are being made among the Sioux for a renewal of hostilities in the spring. Little Crow, it is stated, has succeeded in uniting several of the bands of the Upper Sioux, and that as many as 7,000 warriors will be brought into the field as soon as the spring fairly opens. This number is perhaps overestimated, but all indications point to some serious and extensive operations against the