with inside ditch 6 feet and 3 feet deep. Provision which were last year sent down to Mississippi are now being shipped back by railroad which runs through the inclosure. General Carr, in advance near Searcy, urges me to allow him to fall back to this place, in view of bad roads preventing a forward movement and destitution of food and forage. I hope the gunboats will soon open a way to bring supplies by water. They cannot be conveyed to Little Rock by land and then to Little Red River. We cannot get half rations of some things. General Rove [Rust] command all the Arkansas rebel forces. We have certainly stopped several thousand Texas from joining Beauregard's army.

SAML. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS MISSISSIPPI STATE MILITIA,
Saint Louis, Mo., May 27, 1862.

Colonel J. C. KELTON,

A. A. G., Dept. of the Miss., Camp, Corinth Road, Miss.:

I have the honor to request that an order be issued defining the territorial limits of my command, or at least giving me some instructions as to the extent of my authority and responsibility.

It will be remembered that at the commencement of the organization of State troops General Halleck, as major-general of the militia, placed me in command of all the militia of the State, but no order has ever issued from department headquarters giving me any command but the Saint Louis District.

When on the point of leaving Saint Louis the major-general commanding informed me verbally that he expected me to "take care of Missouri," yet the only part of the State now particularly in need of care is not under my command.

If the general will excuse me for suggesting, it seems to me very important at this time that some one man should have command of all the State except perhaps two or three of the southeastern counties and the troops engaged in escorting supplies to General Curtis. This my command of the militia does not give me.

The organizations of the militia regiments in now complete, and a separate of this class of troops is therefore no longer necessary, and United States troops. Hence, if the commanding general does not deem unity of command in the State necessary, it will be much better to relieve me from all command except the Saint Louis District, and make all the district commanders, as some of them now are, responsible only to the major-general, commanding for their districts and for the troops of all classes within them. Or if it be desired to place some other officer in command of Missouri, I see no reason why it should not be done now that the militia organization is completed. It will relieve me from much embarrassment, and enable me to perform my duties much more efficiently if an order be issued assigning me to such command as the commanding general desires me to exercise, and I respectfully request that such an order be issued.

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

J. M. SCHOFIELD,

Brigadier-General.