Lyon and Fort Union road, in New Mexico. Black Kettle, head chief of the Cheyennes, the Chief Storm, and Little Raven, head chief of the Arapahoes, with their bands, women, and children, came into Cow Creek Station on the 16th instant to attend the council, and learning that it was to be held at the mouth of the Little Arkansas, at once proceeded to that point. I did not meet them as I came up the east side of the Little Arkansas, and they went down on the west side, hence their names do not appear upon the stipulation. I understood Big Mouth to say that there was one band of Arapahoes and one of Cheyennes on the Platte, and that they had sent him word that they were coming down to join him. He said he had no doubt but that they were on their way, but whether they would come after they had heard that he had made peace or not he did not know. I am satisfied that there is no force of importance of any of these tribes on the Platte. I will send forward one detachment of the Fifth Infantry U. S. Volunteers to-morrow and the balance as fast as they arrive at this post.

JOHN S. SANBORN,

Brevet Major-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 34.
Vicksburg, Miss., August 25, 1865.

* * * * *

II. Under the provisions of General Orders, Numbers 130, current series, of the War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, Brigadier General J. A. Maltby, U. S. Volunteers, is hereby relieved from duty in this department.

III. Bvt. Major General M. F. Force, U. S. Volunteers, having reported at these headquarters, in pursuance of General Orders, Numbers 130, current series, of the War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, he is hereby assigned to the command of the Western District of Mississippi.

By order of Major-General Slocum:

J. WARREN MILLER,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,

Saint Louis, Mo., August 25, 1865.

Major General W. T. SHERMAN,

Commanding Military Division of the Mississippi, Saint Louis, Mo.:

GENERAL: I inclose herewith the order* establishing districts in this department, concerning which I have already conferred verbally with You. I also send the detailed instructions given to each district commander. In answer, therefore, to inquiries of the General-in-Chief and War Department, it will be ascertained by summing up the forces specially assigned in these instructions to each district, that the entire force to be retained in this department amounts to seven regiments and one battalion of infantry and four regiments of cavalry, an aggregate force, when the regiments are full, of 5,600 infantry and 4,800 cavalry. About two-thirds of this force are all that [can] be relied on as effective. These regiments will be distributed as follows: Minnesota, one infantry regiment and six companies of cavalry; in Northern Iowa and that

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* See General Orders, Numbers 20, headquarters Department of the Missouri, August 22, p. 1201.

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