will be thus organized by the election of the field officers, under your supervision. You will, from time to time, report to Lieutenant-General Holmes, commanding District of Arkansas, the progress of your operations. The date of commencement of the twelve months' service of any one company will be from the day of its legal organization and muster into service; from which time it will be entitled to receive supplies from the quartermaster's and subsistence departments.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

S. S. ANDERSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS,
Little Rock, June 13, 1863.

General STERLING PRICE,

Commanding Northeastern Arkansas:

MY DEAR GENERAL: On my return from the break-down, I received instructions from General Smith to send at least a brigade of cavalry as low down the Mississippi as Lake Providence; and, wishing to know the condition of affairs below, I immediately went to Pine Bluff, and ordered Colonel Parsons to proceed with his regiment at once, while the remainder of his brigade (Carter's command) will follow as soon as possible, to carry out General Smith's order. I also ordered General Frost to send Clark's regiment and Musser's battalion, with battery, to operate against the enemy's transports going down the Mississippi.

The movement from Rolla I have little doubt was to re-enforce Grant. If there are 4,000 or 5,000 men in Helena, fortified as they are, to take it would cost too much, and I think a better service can be rendered by sending a battery, with a sufficient guard, to some point on the Mississippi below Memphis, to aid in stopping transports. I think Rosecrans is sending troops to Grant, and that both parties are making at Vicksburg the great concentrated effort of the war. If you find your front free from danger, as I think you will, I see no reason why you cannot comply with this suggestion, and also send Shelby to report to Steele at Fayetteville. If possible, I will visit you next week. Reports from the East are favorable, but no certain information.

I am, general, very respectfully,

TH. H. HOLMES,

Lieutenant-General.

CAMP MARTIN,

On Cherokee Bay, June 13, 1863.

Brigadier-General MARMADUKE:

Since I returned I have heard nothing from above, but expect the scouts in hourly. I expect them to bring reliable information from Patterson and Ironton. There is a rumor here that the Federals sent 5,000 or 6,000 from Ironton in the direction of Mississippi River, as we suppose, for the purpose of re-enforcing at Vicksburg, but cannot say whether it is reliable or not. We are now in the act of moving, and by Monday will have a line of couriers from our camp to Pocahontas.

I wish to say to General Price that there are distilleries on the borders of Arkansas and Missouri that are consuming all the corn through this country (they pay $ 4 per bushel), taking the forage from our horses, and leaving the soldiers' families in a state of suffering, unless they pay $ 4 per bushel for corn for their subsistence. They sell their whisky