moving to the fort. There are more troops needed here, and at as early a day as they can get here. Things are looking more serious than I ever saw them before.

THOS. L. MACKEY,

Major, Commanding Fort.

ROBT. B. MITCHELL,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
February 28, 1865-8. 10 p. m.

Brigadier General R. B. MITCHELL,

Grand Island:

All you can do is to work the troops up toward Julesburg and Laramie as fat as you can, and, as soon as ready, if Indians are north of Laramie leave everything there but what you want, and then make a quick dash at them, using pack mules from Laramie. You can strike them with 1,500 or 2,000 well-mounted men. Subsistence and forage enough have been forwarded. Keep scouts out all the time, so as to keep posted.

G. M. DODGE,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI,
February 28, 1865-12. 20 p. m.

Governor EVANS,

Chicago, Ill.:

Full and ample arrangements have been made for the protection of all overland travel, and orders issued to that effect, designating points for trains to be assembled for escorts, &c. You will be safe in publishing the notice you wish to publish, but please do not publish this dispatch.

JOHN POPE,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE NORTHWEST,
Milwaukee, Wis., February 28, 1865.

Brigadier General H. W. SIBLEY:

GENERAL: Yours of the 24th instant is just received and contents, concerning the incursions of Sioux Indians and others from the British lines, particularly noted. I also received a letter from General Sully concerning the same trouble on the Upper Missouri. He reports a hostile camp near Devil's Lake, and reports a special outrage by traders coming down from the British settlements with traders bearing the British flag and furnishing ammunition to the Indians. These reports come from Fort Berthold and are dated about one month ago. Your scouts should give more expeditions intelligence from that region. The following of a retreating foe into another country is not a right, but a sort of privilege which when exercised may or may not be a casus belli, according to circumstances, which always require investigation and vexations diplomatic controversies. As we are now involved in a great rebellion any intrusion of ours, however necessary and proper on other occasions, would be seized upon by rebels and sympathizers, who would swear any and everything to make our action appear insolent and an