GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,

Numbers 3.
Alexandria, La., March 10, 1863.

I. The following officers are announced upon the staff of the lieutenant-general commanding, viz:

Personal staff.--Captain J. G. Meem, jr., aide-de-camp; First Lieutenant E. Cunningham, aide-de-camp, and First Lieutenant E. Walworth, volunteer aide-de-camp.

Department staff.--Brigadier General W. B. Boggs, chief of staff; Captain J. F. Belton, assistant adjutant-general; Captain H. P. Pratt, assistant adjutant-general; Colonel B. Allston, inspector-general; Major J. F. Minter, chief quartermaster; Major W. H. Thomas, chief of subsistence; Lieutenant Colonel John A. Brown, chief of ordnance and artillery, and Surg. S. A. Smith, medical director.

By command of Lieutenant General E. Kirby Smith:

J. F. BELTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS,
Fort Smith, Ark., March 11, 1863.

Colonel S. S. ANDERSON, Adjutant-General:

I inclose herewith several letters from persons in Texas in relation to frontier protection. Colonel [D. H.] Cooper has already ordered Colonel De Morse, who is not far from the scene, to proceed to Cooke County to afford the desired protection. I hope he will obey the order (which I shall reiterate), though his past conduct gives but little reason to expect it.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. STEELE,

Brigadier-General.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

GAINESVILLE, COOKE COUNTY, TEXAS, March 3, 1863.

General WILLIAM STEELE:

GENERAL: At the request of many persons, I write to inform you that unless we get troops at once on our frontier, it will be entirely broken up. The frontier now at Montague will very soon. At Sherman the Indians are plenty all along the line of the frontier, killing and stealing; have already killed some 7 or 8 persons but a little way west, and stolen all the horses on the frontier. Colonel James Bourland has just returned from Austin. He says our Governor assured him that he would send him authority to raise a regiment for our immediate frontier, but they will be insufficient unless they have other troops with which to co-operate. The grass is now getting good on the bayous, on the frontier of the Nation, so that horses could live; and, if they could do nothing more, they could stand between the frontier settlers and the enemy until grass gets good, and troops could be fitted up to pursue them. We understand that their main encampment is in the Big Bend of the Arkansas River, where they doubtless have a great many horses. Can you help us at once, or not? Please let us know by the return of the bearer.

WM. C. TWITTY.

P. S.--In the absence of General Hudson, at the request of the people a short time since, I wrote Colonel Charles De Morse to send us up some help. He stated that he was not authorized to do so, without an order from you, and that he could not come, for want of forage, &c.