HEADQUARTERS MILITARY EXPEDITION,
Camp Release, October 4, 1862.

Major General JOHN POPE,

Commanding Dept. of the Northwest, Saint Paul, Minn.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your dispatch of 23rd instant by Colonel Miller. The implied censure conveyed therein for not addressing my communication officially detailing the battle of the 23rd direct to your headquarters cannot justly rest upon me. The Adjutant-General of the State should have informed me of the charge and instructed me to report to you, which was not done until 22nd instant, when Governor Ramsey intimated to me that such a course would be proper, since which time all dispatches from these headquarters have taken that direction. You will find by my dispatch, referred to in your communication, that I stated "we should have to fall back unless supplied with bread rations, 6-pounder ammunition, and shell for the howitzers." Our spherical case-shot for the two latter was much diminished in the battle, but I did not mean to intimate that I might be compelled to fall back for that reason, but for lack of rations. I trust the cavalry will be along soon. The Indians with Little Crow are but 5 in number, with their lodges. The rest, about 120 lodges, are said to be coming down slowly, but it may be necessary yet to attack them unless they surrender at discretion. I have sent down 90 rescued white captives, and the remaining 17, with some of the half-breeds, will go down to-morrow.

I have also to-day broken up the Indian camp in this vicinity, and ordered the men, women, and children, with some of the half-breeds, to the agencies below, to collect the corn and potatoes in the fields. They are all in charge of the Indian agent, Major Galbraith, and I have sent two companies of infantry, under Captain Whitney, of the Sixth Regiment, to guard them until further orders are received as to the final disposition of them. Should the other Indians come in, as I expect they will, I will disarm them, take the men prisoners, and march them to Fort Ridgely, to be tried by a military commission. The commission appointed by me have tried 29 cases, but all the proceedings have not as yet been presented to me, with the testimony. A majority have been convicted and sentenced to be hung.

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

H. H. SIBLEY,

Colonel, Commanding.

SAINT LOUIS, MO., October 5, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief:

General Schofield telegraphed 3rd that he expected to attack the enemy near Newtonia the next day (4th) if he made a stand.

SAML. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

NEWTONIA, MO., October 5, 1862.

Major General SAMUEL R. CURTIS:

I find that the rebel force here was about 7,000 strong, mostly cavalry, with a few pieces of artillery. It consisted of the commands of Cooper, Coffee, Shelby, Stand Watie, &c. Rains' command did not