[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS, Little Rock, August 23, 1863.

Respectfully returned to Brigadier-General Frost, who will make such disposition of the troops as he may think best.

By order of Major-General Price:

THOS. L. SNEAD,
Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. NORTHERN SUB-DISTRICT, ARMY OF TEXAS, Camp Bankhead, August 23, 1863.

Captain EDMUND P. TURNER,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report, for the information of the major general commanding, that Gurley's regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel [N. W.] Battle, moved forward to-day for Boggy Depot. Krumbhaar's battery follows to-morrow,and Hardeman the next day. The scarcity of water requires that I should move up by detachments,as there is but little water within 37 miles of this place, and not enough for my entire command at any one point. I shall halt at Boggy Depot until I hear from General Steele, as I will not leave the Fort Gibson road open until I am ordered to do so, because the consequences would be visited on the major-general, and I believe he relies on my judgment to avoid any sharp criticism or military disasters. If this section of country should be raided over because the Fort Gibson, road was left open, the whole country would rise in condemnation of the order which moved my command from a salient position.

I will be enabled to support General Steele with an ffective total of about 1,200. This includes [Daniel] Showalter's and [James] Bourland's commands. I have been compelled, however, to arm them with some of the guns intended for Colonel Terrell,and will not be able to send back more than three hundred stand of arms. This need cause no disappointment, as the Texas-made guns are so indifferent that I would not use them if I had shot-guns or the ordinary hunting rifle. But many of Bourland's command, and all of Showalter's, are without arms, are without arms, and I was compelled to take this poor apology for a weapon or leave these troops behind. I should have left here to-day with the advance, but the ordnance supplies will only reach here to-morrow,and I preferred to see to their proper distribution myself. I have had great difficulties in getting up my transportation. I could not move without my own supplies, as, by some strange mismanagement, there were only rations to the 1st proximo in the Indian Department. I was, therefore, compelled to send forward some supplies to General Steele before I took any for my own command. I cannot give you a proper appreciation of the difficulties I have sought to overcome. I have labored incessantly,night and day, since the reception of the order to move, and no earlier advance was within the reach of possibility, unless I threw my troops into a destitute country, without supplies for their maintenance. Superadded to all my other troubles, the sickness of Captain Burke has kept me without the services of a ranking quartermaster until the last two or three days. I have been sorely perplexed to find a proper person to whom I could turn over the command of the sub-district during my absence. Having great confidence in the sound judgment of Colonel Samuel A. Roberts, and as I

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