transfer General Price, with his Missouri troops, to the Trans-Mississippi Department. Late events increase the wish, and if the matter can be arranged so as not to weaken your army materially, it would be very gratifying to the Department to have it accomplished without further delay. Should you be unable to arrange this exchange, then, as soon as you can spare General Price and his Missouri troops without seriously endangering your command, you are requested to order him and them to the Trans-Mississippi Department, to report to General Smith. Great confidence is felt by the Department that, under your skillful leadership, the attack now being made against Vicksburg will be triumphantly repelled, and it is hoped that then it will be in your power to make safely the desired transfer.

With high esteem, most respectfully, yours,

J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS HINDMAN'S DIVISION,
Little Rock, February 7, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel S. S. ANDERSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

COLONEL: I have the honor to request that I, with such of my staff officers as may desire to accompany me, be relieved of duty in the Trans-Mississippi Department, allowed twenty days in which to close unsettled business in said department, and ordered then to report to General Braxton Bragg, east of the Mississippi River. This request would have been preferred earlier but for the fact or anticipation of being near the enemy. I am not now aware of any such obstacle, and earnestly hope the application will be granted without delay.

Respectfully,

T. C. HINDMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,
Little Rock, February 7, 1863.

Major General T. C. HINDMAN:

GENERAL: Your letter to the assistant adjutant-general, asking to be ordered to report to General Bragg, has been referred to me. I regret the application, because it pains me to refuse any request of yours, but your services are necessary here, and cannot be dispensed with. I have no one with whom to supply your place, and I sincerely hope you will not persist in your application or ask its reference to higher authority.

I am, general, very respectfully and faithfully,

TH. H. HOLMES,

Lieutenant-General.

CLARKSVILLE, ARK., February 7, 1863.

Major General T. C. HINDMAN:

GENERAL: We landed at Spadra yesterday morning. Colonel Brooks had 200 bushels of corn put off at that point; the balance of the corn (2,100 bushels) to be unloaded at Roseville, by order of Colonel Carroll. I find but very little here for troops to subsist on; not breadstuff enough