munications to officers of the Indian Department, should be received courteously and not made the subject of coarse abuse in the newspapers. If the officer of the Indian Department is right, it needs no such abuse of another, and no articles in the newspapers to sustain his position. He has only to convince the Secretary of the Interior that he is so, and he will, without doubt, have his way. Where it is found necessary to resort to personal abuse, the case must indeed be weak. I speak plainly on this matter, because it is a crying evil which had done more to excite alarm and uneasiness on the frontier and bring discredit to the Government than anything I know.

I present for Your consideration the views and opinions contained in the inclosed letters. If true, some correction of the evils set forth should be applied. If I am found to be mistaken I shall submit very cheerfully and bend all my efforts to carry out successfully the present or any other policy adopted by the Government. It is not, perhaps, necessary to go into any further details concerning the manner in which the present Indian policy has been administered. I do not doubt, sir, what You will examine fully and carefully into the matter, and that You will take such action as is judicious to correct whatever abuse or wrongs have been or are committed.

I am, sir, very respectfully, Your obedient servant,

JOHN POPE,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS,
Little Rock, Ark., June 19, 1865.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL, U. S. Army,

Washington, D. C.:

The Indians recently mustered out of service at Fort Gibson request to be permitted to retain their arms. Most of them had arms when they entered the service, which have been lost or destroyed. These Indians have experienced many hardships during the war and I respectfully recommend that their arms be given to them. The arms are of varius kinds of foreign make and nine-tenths of them unserviceable.

J. J. REYNOLDS,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS,
Little Rock, Ark., June 19, 1865.

Major General JOHN POPE,

Commanding Military Division of the Missouri, Saint Louis:

I have no mounted force at Gibson or Smith. Second and Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry (dismounted) are being mustered out. Ninth Kansas Cavalry, now at Devall's Bluff, will be fully mounted and the Sixth consolidated with it. Fourteenth Iowa Infantry is at Gibson as garrison, but will also be mustered out as soon as relieved by troops en route to this department. The force reported in yours of 15th as en route will, I think, be sufficient, with what will remain in service. I have no intimation of any movement of Indians.

J. J. REYNOLDS,

Major-General.