I have felt that it was my duty to express my views at length in order to enable the department commander the better to provide for the exigencies which may arise from the want of experience in frontier service in the officer left in command of a post so far advanced and so necessary to the travel of the road to our communication with New Mexico. I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. HAYDEN,

Major Tenth Infantry.

BATESVILLE, May 14, 1862.

Major-General HALLECK:

Your dispatch of the 12th is received. My means for crossing rivers retard my progress, but advance is within 49 miles of Little Rock, ready to drop down on that place as soon as my supplies and forces are properly arranged to support my long line. Governor Rector has issued a flaming proclamation calling out the militia, and some troops are collecting at Little Rock. It does look formidable. Persons coming from Corinth report the rebel camps sickly and scarce of provisions. Rector calls on the people of Arkansas to repel me. No move join the Confederate. Please assign General to a separate command elsewhere; his rank deserves it, and it embarrass me to place him over Steele.

SAML. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY OF THE SOUTHWEST, Numbers 173. Batesville, Ark., May 14, 1862.

* * * *

VI. The division of the Army of the Southwest have been reorganized, and will be command as follows:

First Division by Brigadier General Fred Steele.

Second Division by Brigadier General E. A., Carr.

Third Division by Brigadier General P. J. Osterhaus.

* * * *

By command of Major-General Curtis:

H. Z. CURTIS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION,

Van Bureau, Mo., May 15, 1862.

Major H. Z. CURTIS, Assistant Adjutant-General:

MAJOR: A returning messenger gives me an opportunity of reporting the progress of my march to this place. We have made 120 miles in six days, and will rest to-morrow, the seventh, although not the Sabbath. The roads for the last three days have been very circuitous and rough. The weather has been excessively hot and dry; many men are suffering much from sore feet and want of shoes. The river here is at present fordable. The part of Missouri through which we have just passed is very strongly secession. The day before I arrived at the head of Spring River (Mammoth Spring on the map) a few men of the