I beg leave, respectfully, to suggest that for the successful prosecution of this undertaking, it is highly important that authority be granted to call on district commanders for such additional troops as in my opinion can be safely spared from the several posts during the time necessary to accomplish the purpose named. Without such authority any expedition is likely to prove, if not abortive, at least ineffectual. With it I entertain the confident opinion that an effective blow can be struck in time to prevent the renewed outrages which well may be anticipated during the coming summer. In the meantime I deem this an appropriate occasion, respectfully, to offer a few suggestions relative to the protection of the great overland mail route, and set forth for the information of the department the opinions with which some experience and much thought and examination have impressed me. Premising that no permanent peace with the Indian tribes of the plains can reasonably be hoped for until they shall have been severely chastised for past offenses and made to feel the strong arms of the military power of the Government, I remark that it is equally apparent to the most casual observer that, unless some other and more effective measures be devised, the great overland mail across the continent may now at least be considered no longer an experiment but an established fact, and its importance to the country at large need hardly be commented on, as it cannot indeed be overestimated, if its safety and permanence can be assured. The best and most practicable, if not the only possible, method of accomplishing this so much to be desired consummation would, in my opinion, be to place at each stage station between Virginia City, in Nevada, and Kiowa Station, on the Little blue, in Nebraska Territory, a detachment of well mounted cavalry to accompany each mail coach, with a permanent company or regiment headquarters every 100 or 200 miles. These stations are located at an average distance of twelve miles, [and] the entire distance to be thus traversed is 1,650 miles, being from the western line of settlements in Nebraska to the eastern border of the cities of the Pacific slope. Thus stationed, a detachment of five well armed and mounted soldiers could with ease accompany each coach from station to station, the horses and men being relieved, provided for, stabled, &c., at each station. The service would be exceedingly light and easy of accomplishment and would afford the most efficient protection to the mails, treasure, and passengers, ass well against white as against Indian desperadoes. For all ordinary cases this guard would be ample, but in the event of threatened difficulties along any part of the line a sufficient force could readily be concentrated at almost any given point. Long experience and careful investigation have convinced me that this, or some other nearly analogous plan, is the most economical and practicable, as well as effectual, method that can be devised for the perfect security of the overland mails. The necessary stables for horses and quarters for the men could be erected by the soldiers themselves at a very trifling cost to the Government. These stations between the points named number 130, requiring for the actual patrol proposed but 1,300 men. Two regiments of cavalry therefore would be amply sufficient to accomplish the entire work, affording absolute security to the mails and, incidentally, to the immigration, while in point of economy they would require a far less expenditure of money on the part of Government than is now entailed by the system of garrisoned posts at remote distances from each other. The importance of such security to the overland route in the opening up of a certain, speedy, and safe mode of shipment of