cheerfully done. Some time since your agent, Mr. Kennett, was supplied with 1,000 muskets and a considerable quantity of ammunition, with orders to all quartermaster and commanders to assist in giving these arms, &c., all possible dispatch. It has, however, just come to the ears of the general that Mr. Kennard has halted unaccountably at Grenada. In relation to the particular officers you ask for the general will confer with General Magruder on his arrival here, and will communicate your letter to that officer. It is further understood General Magruder is coming with a good supply of arms and munitions.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOMAS JORDAN,

Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN TERRITORY,
Fort McCulloch, Ind. T., July 20, 1862.

The SECRETARY OF WAR:

SIR: I transmit copies of two orders from Major-General Hindman of one and the same date. That by telegraph [Numbers 2.] was received on July 11 and answered by my letter of resignation, which I requested General Hindman to forward to the President, and by a request to be relieved of command here and for leave of absence. If General Hindman had the power to order me out of this department to organize troops in Arkansas and to defend Northwestern Arkansas, the existence of that power was sufficient reason, in my judgment, why I should at once ask him to place other officer here to execute his orders; and also there is no power on earth short of actual force that could take me within the sphere of his martial law and the jurisdiction of his cloud of provost-marshals, and no power whatever that could compel me to aid in enforcing that martial law while I regard it as a simple usurpation and the substitution of a despotism in place of a constitutional government. I also inclose a copy of my letter of date July 15 to General Hindman, in reply to his dispatches to me, in order that the department may have in possession the facts in regard to the present condition of the service in the Indian country.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ALBERT PIKE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Department of Indian Territory.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DISTRICT,
Little Rock, Ark., July 8, 1862.

GENERAL: Inclosed I send you copies of dispatches from Colonel Carroll and Major Pearce. * General Hindman directs that you move at once to the northern part of the Indian country and assume command of all the Confederate forces as well in the Indian country as in the counties of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, Sebastian, Johnson, Pope, and Scott, in Arkansas, and take steeps to prevent the incursions of the enemy. If your present command cannot move as rapidly as you yourself can go, leave the next in rank in command, with instructions to hurry on after you, and do all can to

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* Not found.

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