between the points named two days, over a route not subject to Indian attacks, and making a less distance to protect in case of necessity, and taking all the advantageous to be gained into consideration, I had determined to build a military road; but finding that the Overland Stage Company has a charter from the Territories of Colorado and Utah for a road over the proposed route, and desiring to have the mail route changed before next autumn, you will cause the men of your command to perform such work on the road, and on such route as Bela M. Hughes, the agent of the company, may direct. Mr. Hughes will pay the men of your command a fair compensation for such labor as they may perform. I would enjoin you to use all possible exertion and speed in their performance of the work assigned you, and on your arrival in this city report to Bvt. Brigadier General Guy V. Henry, commanding South Sub-District of the Plains, for duty.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

P. EDW. CONNOT,

Brigadier-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, OFFICE OF CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER,
New Orleans, La., April 29, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Asst. Adjt. General, Military of West Mississippi:

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit to your consideration the following report of information received at this office this 29th day of April, 1865: Lieutenant Curtiss reports from Baton Rouge the 24th instant that he has reliable information that Colonels Powers' and Griffith's regiment had gone to join Forrest's force with all the men they could raise in East Louisiana, leaving in that region only jayhawkers. Captain Fitz reports from Port Hudson on the same day that be learns that Colonel Griffith has returned with his regiment to some point near Clinton, La. Mr. Kellogg, who was sent up in the west side of the Mississippi to ascertain the points of crossing for the rebels, makes a report similar to that of Mr. Bell from the east side. He thinks the rebel mail could be easily captured by a party on the lower end of Raccourci Island, where the skiffs pass. Mr. Kellog saw Captain Collins, the scout, and the Confederate agent for the exchange of prisoners. They both express the opinion that Kirby Smith will surrender on the same terms as General Lee. Collins says that General Smith is a defaulter to the Confederate Government to the amount of $5,000,000, and that will be a great inducement for him to surrender. It was reported that General Bucker was ordered to Shreveport and General Thomas to Natchitoches, without changing the location of the troops, however. Several of the prisoners captured from the rebel ram Webb state that they were detailed from Parsons' Missouri division, which was at Shreveport when they left on the 7th instant. General Parsons commands the division. It has two brigades, Burns' and Mitchell's. Burns' brigade is composed of the Tenth Missouri Infantry, Colonel Moore; the Eleventh Missouri Infantry, Colonel Lewis; the Sixteenth Misso a battalion of sharpshooters, Colonel Pindall. Mitchell's brigade is composed of the Eighth and Ninth Missouri Infantry, Searcy's battalion, and Perkin's battalion. The two brigades are about the same size, and are variously estimated at from 1,000 to 1,800 each. This division arrived in Shreveport from Camden April 1., It was not known whether they were to go farther or remain