military division, that the violation of General Orders, Numbers 37, 1864, are numerous "in the Department of Arkansas," are wholly gratuitous and are not warranted by facts or practice. There is now an absolute want of competent clerks to perform labor at these headquarters and the offices attached, and constant request fails to supply the want.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. J. REYNOLDS,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN ARKANSAS,
Helena, Ark., March 3, 1865.

Major General J. J. REYNOLDS,

Commanding Department of Arkansas:

GENERAL: I have received the order of Lieutenant-General Grant, dated February 12, ordering me to repair to Rock Island, Ill., and report by letter to the Adjutant-General of the Army for orders. I am prepared to turn over the command to Major-General McCook. If this order is intended to rebuke me I am uninformed of my offense. I desire to close up my affairs here, and beg leave to call your attention to the fact that on the 24th of January I sent you the proceedings of the court-martial in cases of Captain M. L. Bradley and Lieutenant Isaac Hester, both of the Sixtieth U. S. Colored Infantry, both of whom were sentenced to be dismissed, but I have no notice of your action in their cases. They have been under arrest for three months. Also, I wrote to General W. W. Orme, on the 1st, in reference to his action on the Henrico cotton. I inclose you his reply, received this day, that you may have the whole subject before you. I most gratefully thank you for sending Captain Wheeler, of the Corps of Engineers, to me, with the intimation that I was to have the command of the new post at Gaines' Landing, and, though I am not well, it gave me great pleasure to think I was to have field duties and a purely military command. The day after his arrival I received the order relieving me. Sic gloria mundi. I obey the order, and shall continue to try to be always found in the line of duty. I leave your command with exceeding regret. In the present state of my health it may prove a mercy to me.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

N. B. BUFORD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

VICKSBURG, March 3, 1865.

(Received 5th.)

Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

New Orleans:

Your cipher dispatch from Morganza, dated March 1, to General Knipe received. Two regiments will leave to-night, and I think transportation can be accumulated in four days sufficient to embark the entire command.

MORGAN L. SMITH.

Brigadier-General., Commanding.