Troops, and that regiment being so far advanced in its organization that my presence here is no longer necessary for that purpose, I await the orders of the War Department to assign me to other duties. it is my wish to have a field for active service, if the Government has any use for me; if not, I desire to resign my position in the army, one which I have never sought or asked for. I deem it my duty to say that I shall not report to General Schofield by letter from Leavenworth City, as directed in his Orders, Numbers 118, or hold any further intercourse of communication with him, except to prefer charges against him for incompetency and cowardice in connection with his military operations in the Southwest a year ago. In determining upon this course of action, I disclaim any intention to manifest a spirit of insubordination toward my superiors; I cannot acknowledge General Schofield as my superior officer until he is a major-general. I think the President simply made a mistake when, under the act of Congress authorizing him to "assign officers of the same grade to command in the same field or department without regard to seniority of rank," he assigned a brigadier-general to command major-generals. I have never been disposed to be factious upon a simple question of rank, affecting myself, when the interest of the country, which should always be paramount to all personal consideration, required an acquiescence in what might appear unjust in itself. Had the President seen proper to assign to the command of the Department of the Missouri a man with the rank of colonel, who was a true soldier and a gentleman in his official intercourse, I shouldn't have demurred, but would have cheerfully obeyed his orders and co-operate with him in advancing the interest of the Government. But my own sense of manhood and self-respect, as well as a just regard for the reputation of the soldiers who have been under my command, will not longer permit me to submit to the outrages of a man not my superior, who, when the truth of history shall be vindicated, will be proven unworthy the trust the Government has committed to him.

It was not sufficient for him (Schofield) to abandon his command in the face of the enemy in the fall of 1862, but, after I had labored under every disadvantage to save their reputation, and had succeeded in making a successful campaign, successively defeating and destroying a rebel force three time my number, he returned to the field only to commence an unjustifiable and wanton crusade against me, personally, for no other reason that I can conceive than because I punished traitors; and, further-more, when, through some strange influence, difficult to be understood by th true friends of the Government and administration, he is placed in command of the Department of the Missouri, he continues to pursue his malignity by endeavoring to have the small command under me upon his malignity be endeavoring to have the small command under me upon the Arkansas River destroyed and cut to pieces while struggling with an enemy three times their number, and for no other reason than to justify his personal hatred toward me, while at the same time he sends his smelling committees into my camp as spies upon my actions, while with all the available force of my command I was in pursuit of the enemy, although prostrated by sickness as well as being in the face of the enemy, and at the risk of my life from disease, prosecuting the only active military operations in his department. A majority of these smelling gentlemen were drunken vagabonds, while at least two of the number are known to have received bribes while in the discharge of their official duties. Their slanders upon the Army of the Frontier, gotten up in pursuance of the preconcerted programme at Saint Louis, receive, as they merit, the just contempt of every soldier composing it.

My time has been hitherto too much occupied with the armed enemies