rison any one of these posts, and cavalry cannot be stationed at these posts, as it is impossible to procure forage, i. e., corn and hay in sufficient quantities to sustain the animals. Please let me know what I am to do. If it is absolutely necessary to muster out these U. S. Volunteers, and troops cannot be sent me in season to relieve the upper posts-for in a very few weeks it will be impossible to get a boat to Union-I would recommend Forts Union and Berthold be abandoned, and these I will have to garrison Rice, with Major Brackett's battalion, sending the horses to Sioux City, but I urge the necessity of sending me some troops to replace these U. S. Volunteers if I must carry out this order, for I repeat, I have no men to replace the garrison in my district, and if the posts are abandoned the injury to the service will be very serious, as I said before. I will await further orders, which I expect to receive when I return to the Missouri River at Fort Berthold.

With much respect, Your obedient servant,

ALF. SULLY,

Brevet Major-General, Commanding.

SAINT LOUIS, MO., July 24, 1865.

Major-General SANBORN,

Fort Riley, Kans.:

Push out Your columns into the Indian country as soon as possible. Every day now is precious. When You get there You can determine whether You can make peace safely before whipping them. If not, fight them, and then make the agreement. I want it settled while You are in their country, and they can see our power; and You understand that in making any agreement we can only make it for a cessation of hostilities, they keeping away from our lines of trave, and we desisting from molesting them. Then appoint a time and place where commissioners of Government and myself can meet them and clear up a permanent treaty. Telegraph me at Fort Leavenworth, where I go to-morrow.

G. M. DODGE,

Major-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, July 24, 1865.

Honorable JAMES R. DOOLITTLE,

Denver City:

General Grant reports that on the 18th of June an informal and temporary treaty was made, by commissioners appointed by Major-General Herron, with includes all the Indians south of the Arkansas, with a stipulation to stop all hostilities until a formal treaty can be entered into. The treaty provides for a grand council of all the Indian tribes with commissioners of the United States at Armstrong Academy, in the Choctaw Nation, on the 1st of September, 1865, for the purpose of entering into a final treaty of peace between the United States Government and the Indian tribes. This treaty is approved by General Grant, and is submitted to this Department for its action. General Grant recommends that Colonel Parker, of his staff, who is a highly educated and accomplished Indian, be appointed one of the commissioners at the