are acting staff officers and clerks that I take, without inconvenience to General Dodge: Major S. S. Curtis, Second Colorado Cavalry; Major C. S. Charlot, assistant adjutant-general; Major R. H. Hunt, Fifteenth Kansas Cavalry; Private John W. Boyington, Company C, Third Wisconsin Cavalry; Private M. Cook, Company C, Third Wisconsin Cavalry; Private Edmund Mercer, Company I, Eleventh Kansas Cavalry; Private E. D. Buck, Company G, Fifteenth Kansas Cavalry; Private William F. Brown, Company H, Fifteenth Kansas Cavalry. Our telegraph line is public, and I wish you would telegraph the order.

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, February 8, 1865.

GENT OVERLAND MAIL COMPANY,

Atchison, Kans.:

I desire to see you here to-morrow or next day.

G. M. DODGE,

Major-General.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, February 8, 1865.

COMMANDING OFFICER LAWRENCE, KANS.:

You will forward the following dispatch by special messenger to Fort Riley immediately. The messenger will bring reply to you and you will answer by telegraph:

COMMANDING OFFICER FORT RILEY:

Send by special messenger report of condition of your troops; whether ready for movement; what Indians, if any, on New Mexico Mail Route; what Indians, if any, between you and Platte River, and all information in relation to country north and west of you, that I may have a full understanding. Do you use any spies among the Indians? You can employ any half-breeds or friendly Indians as spies, who are reliable?

G. M. DODGE,

Major-General.

JOHN WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS, Fort Zarah, Kans., February 8, 1865.

Lieutenant J. E. TAPPAN,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of communication from district headquarters directing that scouts be made from this post to the south and southwest. In reply I would say that with the force at present under my command it is impossible for me to send out such scouts. By reference to my last reports you will perceive that I have but about forty-five privates for duty. My post guard takes eighteen privates, so that unless I keep men on duty constantly I have but thirteen privates for my scouting, escorting, and fatigue duty. I therefore request that two companies more be sent to this post. The commanding officers of Companies E and G, Second Colorado Cavalry, inform me that they received orders from district headquarters detailing privates from their companies to report to Sergeant Nettleton. I had no