once issued to the commanding officer of that regiment, and it has been relieved from duty in this district. This regiment is scattered at different posts along a line of nearly 400 miles, a few companies being now as near Fort Kearny as we are here. Colonel Maynadier, commanding, desires the entire regiment concentrated here. He can move from here with some four companies at once, if the general commanding desires him to do so. Some weeks must elapse before the entire regiment can be concentrated.

JOHN B. SANBORN.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, August 23, 1865.

Brevet Major-General SANBORN,

Fort Riley, Kans.:

Major-General Dodge telegraphs from Alkali that it is reported that a part of the Comanches, Kiowas, nearly all of the Cheyennes, and one band of Arapahoes are still north of Platte River. Ascertain what portion of these are here. The general will communicate with You from Julesburg.

J. W. BARNES,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, August 23, 1865.

Brevet Major-General WHEATON,

Commanding District of Nebraska:

GENERAL: The assistant adjutant-general will hand You the order assigning You to the command of the District of Nebraska. * You will please proceed without delay to You command and enter upon the performance of You duties. The permanent military posts in Your district are Fort Kearny, Cottonwood, Julesburg, Fort Laramie, and Platte Bridge. In my opinion each of these posts should this winter be garrisoned by three infantry and two cavalry companies, and You had best make immediate arrangements for the necessary supplies for them. There have been sent to the plains by my predecessor in command of this department a large quantity of supplies of every kind, greatly in excess of the wants of the forces You will have in Your district. After delivering at each post its supplies for one year You will please have all the surplus collected at some suitable and convenient post and safely stored and protected from the weather. It will not be possible probably this winter to get these supplies back to the depot at Fort Leavenworth, but they can be protected carefully, and the larger part of them will be on hand and fit for issue next season. Please give Your special attention to storing and protecting these supplies and all other public property not designed for daily use at the posts. It is possible that You may find it judicious to establish some intermediate small posts in addition to those mentioned; but I think not. In relation to escorts for mail coaches, You must exercise Your discretion. It is not, in my opinion, possible to furnish cavalry escorts during the winter without enormous expense and great destruction of horses, but if it be absolutely necessary You might send infantry in wagons from one post to another with the coaches. You should be careful, however, never to send less than thirty men, under a commissioned officer. The details

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* See paragraph VI, August 22, p. 1201.

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