of Brigadier-General Steele, be, by the War Department of the Confederate States, placed in exclusive command of the Indian Territorial Department, if compatible with the will of the Confederate military Commander-in-Chief.

2. Be it further resolved, That this government is at present, and has been at all times, unanimous and united in its determined and unchanging constancy to the Confederate States of America, be their destiny what it may.

3. Be it further resolved, That the granting of our wish, as expressed in the first of these resolutions, by the Confederate military department, will place us under renewed obligations to call to the field of battle many more of our willing, brave warriors.

4. Be it further resolved, That copies of these resolutions be forwarded to Lieutenant General E. Kirby Smith, commander-in-chief of the Trans-Mississippi Department, to the chiefs of the Confederate Indian Nations, and to General Douglas H. Cooper, brigadier-general, commanding, &c.

Approved October 8, 1863.

SAM. GARLAND,

Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation.

[Inclosure Numbers 9.]

CAMP BRAGG, CHOCTAW NATION, October 14, 1863.

Lieutenant General E. KIRBY SMITH,

Commanding Trans-Mississippi Department, Shreveport, La.:

We, the undersigned, officers of Texas troops, would most respectfully represent that we are desirous of correcting any misapprehensions that have or may reach your headquarters in regard to Brigadier General D. H. Cooper, commanding First Indian Brigade. We have reason to believe that reports have reached you prejudicial to him as an officer, and that if he should be placed in command of this department, as the Indians desire, that the Texas troops would be unwilling to serve under him. Not so, but, on the contrary, our commands, while we regard the present commander, Brigadier General W. Steele, as a gentleman and efficient officer, believe that General Cooper would harmonize the troops in the department, and accomplish more good than any other officer that might be placed in command; and having served under him, some of us for more than two years, would still cheerfully continue, and believe that should other white troops be placed here that they would be equally well satisfied.

OTIS G. WELCH,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Twenty-ninth Texas Cavalry.

J. A. CARROLL,

Major Twenty-ninth Texas Cavalry.

LEO. C. DE MORSE,

Adjutant Twenty-ninth Texas Cavalry.

L. E. GILLETT,

Major, Commanding Wells' Battalion Texas Cavalry.

GEO. G. DUGGINS,

Assistant Surgeon Wells' Battalion.

OFFICE SENIOR SURGEON, FOURTH BRIGADE,

Camp Bragg, Ark., December 29, 1863.

Colonel S. P. BURNS, Commanding Fourth Brigade:

COLONEL: The medical officers of this brigade having heard semi-officially that a movement for the simple purpose of changing camp was