[Inclosure Numbers 2.]

GAINESVILLE, TEX., March 3, 1863.

General STEELE:

DEAR SIR: I have been requested by a number of citizens, in connection with others, to address you upon the subject of our frontier difficulties. I have just returned from a trip to see and confer with Major-General Magruder, at Houston, Tex., having accompanied Colonel James Bourland, who was trying to secure permanent and sure protection. Colonel Bourland was asking the privilege of raising a troop, to be permanently located on the frontier, which the general did not have power to give him, and remarked that our defenses on the north were with yourself, and that he doubted not but you would, for the present at least, have men to put to our defense. We could at that time but assure him of our apprehensions as to trouble and invasion by the rising of the grass; but upon our return we found our country invaded by the Indians, jayhawkers, &c., and our people almost ready to flee their homes, and sacrifice to the foe their large possessions of cattle and horses, as well as promising fields of grain; in fact, these things cannot longer remain in statu quo. Support must be forthcoming, and at once. Our people, old and young, are now trying to keep them off their property; but they are without organization or discipline, and soon, one by one, from exhaustion, indifference, &c., they will break up, and the whole frontier for miles and counties will give way. The troops on the frontier directly west, under State control, are unable to aid us in this defense. The stealing and murdering parties come into our county and Montague from the north, that is, our of the Indian Territory, and in their transit north pass near Fort Arbuckle, that is, some 20 miles west. I am not unmindful of the great difficulty troops would have at present in foraging or supplying themselves on our extreme frontier, but, nevertheless, it can be done; that is, commissary [stores] can be obtained, and at once, and the grazing will be sufficient for horses, on light scouting, by the time they could be got there.

My dear sir, I do not like to be tiresome, and will close by assuring you that a large portion of the people for whom we are asking this protection are the wives and sisters and mothers of as gallant and self-sacrificing soldiers as represent any section in the army of our country.

Yours, truly,

JAS. J. DIAMOND.

[Inclosure Numbers 3.]

RED RIVER, COOKE COUNTY, TEXAS, March 4, 1863.

General D. H. COOPER:

DEAR SIR: An expressman leaves here this morning en route for General Steele's headquarters, who left Gainesville yesterday. You will find from the dispatches he bears, which you can read, our troubles on this frontier. If you can render the bearer any assistance I wish you to do so, and, if possible, save him the trip to General Steele's headquarters, as we have no time now to run about with dispatches, for the enemy is now among us. I learn your mare is down at Mr. Curtis'. As soon as I build my picket fence to pen my horses, I will bring her up and feed her for you. We are in danger of having all our horses stolen any night.

Respectfully, yours, &c.,

JAMES BOURLAND.

[P. S.]--There is no dependence in De Morse, as he has been called on