hope that something can be done to equip my forces, so that we can participate in this movement. I shall fortify here immediately, and put this post in condition to be held by a few men as a point on our line of communication with Saint Louis. I hope the field pieces will be forthcoming. Many men in the battery have served in that arm before, and nearly all are picked men, and will do honor to themselves and the service.

I am, general, your most obedient servant,

M. LA RUE HARRISON,

Colonel First Arkansas Cavalry, Commanding Post.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS POST,
Fayetteville, Ark., April 1, 1863.

Major General SAMUEL R. CURTIS,

Commanding Department of the Missouri:

GENERAL: Being ordered by Colonel W. A. Phillips, commanding this district, to hold myself in readiness to move on Van Bureau with my command within the next fire days, and having stated fully to him the present ineffective state of the command, and some reasons why I consider such a movement premature, I have thought it not improper to state the same facts to yourself directly, inasmuch as I have been ordered to report to you as well as to the commander of this district.

1st. The state of my command. The First Arkansas Cavalry numbers an aggregate of 1,032 men; probably when all are at the post they may number 850 effective men. They have 154 serviceable horses and 65 unserviceable, all told. The regiment has not received any clothing for three months, and only a very small supply since November, so that a large part of the men are in a destitute condition.

The First Arkansas Infantry will number in a few days an aggregate of 830 men; probably 700 of them effective. They are totally without transportation, clothing or tents, or equipments of any kind, except the arms picket up on the Prairie Grove battle-ground, which are of all patterns and calibers. The destitution of clothing is very great, and much suffering and sickness prevails on account of it; besides, it would be a ruinous policy to place this undrilled, barefooted, butternut regiment in the field to be mixed up with and cut in pieces by rebels in the same dress.

The First Arkansas Light Artillery numbers 110 men, who are destitute of clothing, and have never received their guns. Of course, nothing can be expected of them; ammunition is scarce; we have only caliber .58 and .69 enough to give an average of 40 rounds to each man; but we have a large number of .54 guns and no ammunition for them, while we could only furnish from 15 to 20 rounds for the .58 guns. The post train is reduced for want of mules from 14 to 4 wagons. Forage must be hauled from King's River, 45 miles, and trains must be escorted by at least 100 men, and even then the danger of their capture cannot be disguised. A trip seldom is made without a skirmish with guerrillas. There being no brigade train, and no transportation for either infantry or battery, we are obliged to depend entirely for our trains furnished at Springfield, Mo., which thus far we have failed entirely to receive, except a partial supply of subsistence stores, having been at two different times reduced to extremity on account of the delay in furnishing trains. No quartermaster stores have been sent (except a few brought by the First Arkansas Cavalry train) since I have been at this post, and the