powers, I had directed all the absent officers and men to report to me here; he orders them to report to him "directly." Which shall they do? What are people to understand, or now are they to know what to do when there are two commanders in the same district? The general will do me a great favor by assigning to me any command he may think me competent to fill; but, when assigned, I must respectfully ask that it be my command until removed from it by his order, being willing at all times to obey his orders promptly, or try to give satisfactory reasons why I do not or cannot do so.

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,

HENRY E. McCULLOCH,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Northern Sub-District.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DIST. OF TEX., N. MEX., AND ARIZ., Numbers 250.
Sabine Pass, September 15, 1863.

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II. It being extremely difficult to obtain reliable information from the northern frontier, Colonel N. C. Gould, commanding Twenty-third Texas Cavalry, is hereby detailed to proceed at once to Bonham, Tex., to procure all information possible in regard to the strength, position, and intentions of the enemy. He will also investigate and ascertain the quality and efficiency of the Mississippi rifles and other arms manufactured by the State of Texas. Colonel Gould will ascertain the state of feeling in the frontier counties and other parts of the country in that quarter. He will examine into the condition and state of the ammunition of that district, quantity on hand, &c., the state of feeling among the troops, &c., and report all this information to these headquarters by the most expeditious method.

Colonel Gould will report upon other matters of importance which may transpire.

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XII. While Colonel Gould is performing this duty, he will take the necessary steps to have that portion of his regiment now collecting the horses of the regiment to assemble at Milican as rapidly as possible.

When this is done, Colonel Gould will take command of them, and report the fact to these headquarters, when that portion of his regiment will be ordered to join the portion now here, or this part be united with that portion.

Lieutenant [J. L.] Jamison, of Colonel Gould's regiment, will be detailed to assist Colonel Gould in the performance of the above duty of collecting his regiment.

The quartermaster and subsistence department will furnish all facilities in the execution of these orders.

By command of Major-General Magruder:

EDMUND P. TURNER,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Inclosure Numbers 2.]

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HOUSTON, TEX.,
No., -.
September 19, 1863.

Having been assigned to the duty of executing General Orders, Numbers 38, from Lieutenant E. Kirby Smith's headquarters, as well as the instructions therein given by Major-General Magruder, which have been re-