sent me by express your full instructions in relation to these men, which you can rest assured will be carried out.

I can hear of no troops being sent by General Magruder to the Rio Grande, but, on the contrary, some have been ordered from there east.

Your obedient servant,

M. M. KIMMEY,

Vice-consul.

CHIHUAHUA, October 16, 1863.

Brigadier General JAMES H. CARLETON,

Commanding Department of New Mexico, Santa Fe:

DEAR SIR:

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Since the occupation of Arizona by Federal troops, under the command of General West, no complaint has been made in this capital of disorders or outrages on this frontier, at the point of contact, proceeding from military authorities or soldiers in that district. So far as I am informed here everything on that frontier works smoothly and peaceably and to the satisfaction of this people. I have wished to be able to speak very positive on this point, and therefore visited the governor this morning and asked him if anything had occurred since the reoccupation of Arizona, which was the cause of complaint or dissatisfaction. he answered, "No;" on the contrary he was highly gratified that the transactions at the point of contact had been, up to this date, of the most pleasant and unobjectionable character. This was not always the case, general;in old times, before the rebellion, a great many things happened on that frontier which were construed by Mexican authorities, properly or improperly, to be gross outrages. And many expressions of bitterness were hurled against us for being as they said an overbearing and reckless people.

That things are now placed upon such a good footing so far as Chihuahua and Arizona are concerned, and that such good order and discipline prevail, should be the source of pride to the commanding officers, and it certainly is the source of esteem and respect toward them from this Government.

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Very respectfully,

REUBEN W. CREEL.

UNITED STATES CONSULATE AT MONTEREY, MEXICO,

October 17, 1863.

Brigadier General J. R. WEST:

Since writing you on the 14th instant, I have received a letter from our consul at Matamoras. He says he has positive information that Texas is invaded from the east. He was expecting a force on the Rio Grande daily.

Late Texas papers have no news from Sabine Pass. The last mention of the attack on that place was that official dispatches had been received at Houston, but it was not considered proper to give them to the public.

I have made sufficient inquiries to satisfy me that J. R. Baylor is not