Louisiana, and Missouri troops to return to their homes, knowing full well that the Texas troops did not intend to surrender, and that most of them had already gone to their homes; that while they were destroying their arsenals and carrying home with them their arms, it was their constant boast that they were not conquered and that they would renew the fight at some future day.

Previous to the surrender, and in anticipation of the successful escape of Jefferson Davis, and his probable arrival in the Trans-Mississippi Department, it had been contemplated to organize a column of 15,000 Confederates at Marshall, Tex., for the invasion of Mexico. This scheme failed, perhaps from the capture of Mr. Davis; but while the main scheme of sending the 15,000 men to Mexico failed, numerous bands, squads, and parties, numbering perhaps 3,000 or 4,000 men, crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico, In view of this and the troubles of our sister Republic, and taking into consideration the fact that all our military projects during the war against Texas had been failures, and that on this account the Union people there had come to look upon the Government as weak, it was determined to throw a large force in to that State and along the Rio Grande border. The accomplishment of this purpose was accompanied with great labor from various causes, but it was successfully achieved.

Among the first difficulties were the inadequacy of the depot at this place for the requirements of the service to be accomplished, the absence of all mercantile marine, and the worthless character of most of the transportation held by the quartermaster's department here for the purpose of crossing the Gulf or entering the ports of Texas, the destruction of all the wharves at the ports in Texas with the exception of Galveston, by the Confederates, and the long line of communications to the points occupied in the interior, over which supplies had to be sent; and last, but not least, the great reluctance of the troops, officers and men, to continue for a longer period in the service, they claiming that they had fulfilled their contract with the Government, and that it was but just they should be mustered out. The movement of the Thirteenth Corps had been ordered before I reached New Orleans. One division of it, under Major General F. J. Herron, proceeded to occupy the line of the Red River in Louisiana, and Marshall and Jefferson in Northeastern Texas; one division, under Major General F. Steele, was under orders for the Rio Grande line; the third division, under Major General J. A. Mower, was ordered to Galveston, from thence to occupy the line of railroad from Galveston to Brenham, while Major General Gordon Granger, who was in command of the corps, was assigned to general command in Texas.

While these movements of the Thirteenth Corps were in progress I was rapidly collecting at Alexandria, La., a column of cavalry, about 4,500 strong, to be commanded by Major General G. A. Custer, and another column at Shreveport, La., about 5,000 strong, to be commanded by Major General Wesley Merritt. These cavalry columns were collected from different points in the States before mentioned, and were transferred up Red River by steam-boats, under great difficulties from the low stage of the water; were organized into divisions, equipped, supplied, and prepared to march for their respective points of destination, Merritt's division to march, via Marshall, to San Antonio, and Custer's division, via Hempstead, to Austin, Tex. ; the columns marching nearly parallel to each other and something like 100 miles apart. These columns took with them a small pontoon train to cross streams on the line of march, and for the additional object of being able to cross the Rio Grande, should the Government elect to send troops in that direction. While