picked out the best, as I understand, leaving only men enough for a defensive portion and leaving the cavalry without horses. When Kirby Smith either retires into Texas or surrenders (one of which he must soon do) it will be necessary to occupy Marshall in Texas, Shreveport and Alexandria in Louisiana, and Camden, Fulton, and perhaps one or two other points in Southern Arkansas, merely for police purposes to keep down guerrillas and help enforce the laws and maintain order. It think it likely that Reynolds' troops are better for these purposes than for an actual campaign. I infer from your telegram that it is not intended to take any part of Arkansas away from this military division, so that eventually the troops in the southern part of the State and the whole administration in the State, so far as the military authorities are concerned, will remain with me. I understand your telegram to mean merely that all troops that can be spared from Arkansas shall be used as General Sheridan directs in hostile operations against Kirby Smith. When these operations are over the southern line of Arkansas becomes again the southern line of this military division. I only allude to this in view of the future, since in restoring order and quite in Arkansas and in any view of civil administration in that State the whole State should be within one military command. Of this, however, you can judge hereafter.

Our Indian affairs are in satisfactory condition. The small raid in Minnesota amounts to little and ought to have been intercepted and the Indians killed or captured before they reached the settlements. I really cannot see what we could do with more troops in that region, unless indeed permission could be obtained from the English Government to follow hostile Indians into the British Possessions and then seize and punish them. I have so often reported the unfriendly conduct of British subjects north of Minnesota in these Indian hostilities and the necessity of prohibitingh them unless they cease to supply Indians with means to carry on hostilities against us and a place of safe refuge when pursued that I think it improper to do more than refer to the matter here. In Missouri we could have entire quiet in a very short time if only the people would consent to allow the deserters from Price's army and the bushwhackers to remain at peace after they surrender. All the noted bushwhacking bands in the State nearly have offered to surrender, but the people would shoot them whenever they could find them and thus compel them to flee the State or continue to be bushwhackers. I am doing what I can to pacify the public mind on this subject. Colonel Sprague is, I presume, on his way back from Shreveport, for which place he was about to set out when I last heard from him. I expect every hour to hear definite news of Kirby Smith's decision about surrendering.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN POPE,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., May 19, 1865.

Major General J. J. REYNOLDS,

Commanding Department of Arkansas, Little Rock, Ark.:

GENERAL: I send inclosed a telegram just received from General Grant. * You will please act in accordance with its provisions. If you

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*See Grant to Pope, 18th, p. 492.

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