thus be cut off. I again urge the shipment of troops from western posts in Missouri to my line. The order withdrawing my command in Missouri, disables me from ordering available troops to the Missouri difficulty. I am 230 miles from Rolla, and therefore quite beyond immediate necessities. There must be troops near Springfield sufficient to clear out these rascals. My troops are again out of bread; but we can live on beef, which is plenty.

SAML. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE SOUTHWEST,
Batesville, May 26, 1862 (via Pocahontas).

Brigadier General W. SCOTT KETCHUM:

I have just returned from vicinity of Searcy, where all ius quiet. Streams and roads impassable for teams. My quartermaster telegraphs in regard to rebels is Southwest Missouri too strong. I have seen McLaugheridge, the man from whom the information came. There is not much news in his information. He left rebel camp at Maysville, Ark., twelve days ago. They had collected about 400 men under Colonel Coffee. The Pike force was at Boggy Bayou, where it was a mount ago, but they expect it it come and check Doubleday, who, it seems, was moving that way. As our force advances rebels run before, arms in hand, and others, coming from Price, trying to get north, are joining them. That is about all the increase McLaugheridge could of. They are poor and destitute. A Captain Jackman, from Jackson County, Missouri, had brought down a pretty good company. The matter is mostly moonshine specter. If Doubleday has 2,000 troops they will never enter Missouri or Kansas. they complain, I fear with reason, that Doubleday's troops have burned houses, but the rebel camp is composed of the most despicable, rough, ragged rascals ever congregated together; so McLaugheridge says, and he is reliable. The attack on my trains near Rolla and threatened attacks elsewhere have induced me to send a regiment of cavalry through from this point to Houston. Meantime I hope the Cassville and Springfield forces will be moved over to my command. I shall also hope to hear of the gunboats passing through, so as to permit steamers to bring supplies up the White River.

SAML. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS MISSOURI STATE MILITIA,
Saint Louis, May 26, 1862.

Colonel J. C. KELTON,

A. A. G., Dept. of the Miss., General Halleck's Hdqrs., Miss.:

I respectfully request the attention of the major-general commanding to the necessity of readjusting the boundaries of district in the southern part of Missouri. The successive changes that have taken place in the commanders of these districts have left them in some cases undetermined and in others inconvenient. This will appear from a reference to the various orders that have issued from the department headquarters defining district limits. I inclose copies of these orders for the convenient reference of the major-general commanding. From these orders it will appear that the dividing line of the district of