thus contemplated is not so large now on account of discharges and desertions. I have written you fully from here, and I desire to hear from my letter at Kearny. I trust you will inform Government of the true state of affairs, as with any such ideas as those they will look upon all I can do with prejudice. You can rest assured of one thing, that I shall certainly carry out your orders in letter and in spirit, as I have always done. I will be in Kearny Tuesday.

G. M. DODGE,

Major-General.

FORT KEARNY, NEBR. TER., August 5, 1865.

Captain GEORGE F. PRICE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Fort Laramie;

(For General Connor.)

GENERAL: As I stated General Pope has sent me positive orders to reduce the troops on the plains, as soon as your expedition is over, to 4,000 men, placing them at the prominent posts on overland route. This, he says, is to be done regardless of the success of failure of your Indian expedition. The War Department ordered the brigade of infantry en route to be sent back from Kearny and mustered out. I have ordered to Fifth United States, about 800 strong, from Fort Riley to you. This, with the Sixth United States and what California infantry you have, is all the infantry we will have this winter to carry out these orders. I see no way of sending more infantry to Utah, and have stopped movement of troops there. If we should get any more allowed us we will have to send cavalry through late in the fall. Powder River I consider of great importance, and you better take the infantry you want for that post out of the Sixth U. S. Volunteers. That portion of the Fifth U. S. Volunteers with Colonel Sawyer's wagon party is ordered to report to you when he discharges them. They must be up in that country some place. You will be the best judge of how much you can take then, and supply other posts. I have represented to the Government in what condition it will place the plains to reduce the force so much if we get no peace. But our orders are positive, and we must now lay our plans for that force on the plains this winter. If you succeed with your expedition it will be all right. Government has assured me that they would not declare the force now on the plains until expeditions were over, but expect we can begin to do it by middle of October. * * *

G. M. DODGE,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., August, 28, 1865.

Major-General DODGE:

In designating the force to be retained in each district it is understood that infantry regiments are full to 800 men and cavalry regiments to 1,200 men. It is rather the number of men than number of regiments I want kept. Where regiments are not full, retain battalions or companies or battalions must be at once mustered out.

JOHN POPE,

Major-General.