Van Buren. Al of these people are destitute and will have to be subsisted by the Government for three or four months. I now have 5,000 people here on the verge of starvation, whom I am sending away as fast as possible, because it will be impossible for me to feed them. If I keep the wives and children of the soldiers of Arkansas regiments and sell to those colonies immediately in the vicinity of these posts it will be more than our supplies will warrant. The rebels will not permit a colony to raise anything ten miles from Van Bureen. A crop planted by them will be so much contributed to the enemy. Frog Bayou and the Arkansas River will afford them no protection when the water is low. If refugees are shipped back here from Little Rock to be fed by the Government there is no reason why 3,000 or 4,000 who are now here, all of whom have claims on the Government, should not receive the same indulgence. In view of all the facts I have determined to send Captain Harper and his colony back to Little Rock, where they can colonize with more economy than on the plantation of Mr. Burrows, who has the reputation here of being a very bitter rebel. I am doing everything in my power for the suffering people in this country. I now have a train out after abut twenty- families of soldiers, living twenty to forty miles distant, who are starving. The number will continue to increase, notwithstanding I have been sending them on every boat, and am now preparing to send 200, by way of Fayetteville, to Springfield. I also have a large number to send down on these boats. I hope my action in this case will meet Your approval.

Very respectfully, Your obedient servant,

CYRUS BUSSEY,

Brigadier- General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Memphis, Tenn., March 14, 1865.

Major General N. J. T. DANA,

Commanding Department of Mississippi:

GENERAL; Your letter of the 12th, inclosing letter of General Canby of the 4th instant, is received. I have transmitted the substance of it by telegraph to Major General George H. Thomas, commanding Department of the Cumberland, for his orders. YOUR request of the Third Cavalry (colored) I have also transmitted to General Thomas for his instructions.

I am, general, Your obedient servant,

C. C. WASHBURN,

Major- General.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF MISSISSIPPI,
Vicksburg, March 18, 1865.

Respectfully forwarded to Lieutenant Colonel C. T. Christensen, assistant adjutant- general, Military Division of West Mississippi, for the information of the major- general commanding. This action will cause delay in the movement of the cavalry.

N. J. T. DANA,

Major- General.

74 R R- VOL XLVIII, PT I