813 Series I Volume XLVIII-II Serial 102 - Powder River Expedition Part II
Page 813 | Chapter LX. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. - UNION. |
ideas are sufficiently detailed in the letters to which I refer, but I will send this by mail, and hope You may also receive them long before this reaches You. I am very sorry to hear of the disasters to our boats as mentioned in Your letter of the 23rd, but hope You have fully recovered. Our stock must depend on grass both summer and winter; we cannot get corn to our extreme posts at any reasonable rates when too much hazard exists, and You must therefore provide hay at all the outer posts sufficient to give the stock al they will eat. Well salted and amply supplied stock will live very well on hay in winter, and we know how to campaign on grass. You will also get into a buffalo country, and troops may use buffalo meat on the campaign; but light rations must also be conveyed, and for this You must have a considerable supply train. I return to-morrow to headquarters at Milwaukee, but dispatches will be opened here or at Milwaukee as You may send them, and important intelligence instantly telegraphed. Your dispatches through Council Bluffs generally come in about two days.
Hoping to hear from You often, I am, general, Your obedient servant,
S. R. CURTIS,
Major-General.
HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE SOUTHWEST,
New Orleans, La., June 8, 1865 (Received 9th.)Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,
Washington, D. C.:
GENERAL: I will not require any cavalry from the East except the Eighth Illinois, now I believe at Saint Louis I have organized tow columns of superb cavalry of 4,000 men each. one is now en route to Shreveport, and will march through Austin to San Antonio. The other column, 4,000 strong, will be en route in a few days, and will march from Shreveport to Houston. Cavalry cannot be transported across the Gulf, nor can it cross Western Louisiana, as the country is covered with water. I have countermanded the order for troops from little Rock., the time of service of most of that command will expire in a few month. The transportation got for it by General Allen will be used for a cavalry. The six steamers which te Quartermaster- General promised have not yet been heard from Indeed there has been a dead- lock on movement of troops since General Steele left, as every suitable transport was sent with him.
P. H. SHERIDAN,
Major-General.
NEW ORLEANS, LA., June 8, 1865.
(Received 1. 30 p. m. 9th.)
Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,
Washington:
The following telegram has just been received from South Pass. It is not official, but I deem it correct:
[Special, True Delta.]
JUNE 8, 1865- 8 A. M.
Brownsville is again in possession of the Federals. Brigadier-General Brown entered the town at the head of his forces at daylight on the morning of the 31st of May. The Confederate forces did not await their arrival, but unceremoniously left the day
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