obstacles creating a delay in your march have at length been surrounded, and that your command is by this time on its way to its destination. The article from the Henderson Monitor, which seems to have annoyed you somewhat, is but a specimen of the unjust and unfounded criticisms which abound in that class of prints with reference to the military authorities, and are not worthy of notice. It may be necessary for the assistance quartermaster assigned to duty at Fort Wadsworth to make an occasional issue of clothing to the scouts attached to the expedition, which will be charged against them. When such cases occur you must be the judge of the necessity of the issue and officially approve it in each case, but care should be taken to avoid furnishing uniform coasts or such other articles as specially indicate the wearer as a soldier in the Army of the United States. The season is so far advanced that it is highly necessary to push forward the movements connected with the building of Fort Wadsworth with all convenient dispatch, and the brigadier-general commanding depends upon your well-known energy to avoid any unnecessary delay in these movements. The contractor's train for the transportation of supplies to the new post should not be detained longer than is absolutely required, as other stores will have to depend upon the same train for delivery at Fort Wadsworth. Every precaution should be taken to guard the public property from deterioration or damage from the weather, &c., while the requisite store-houses are in process of erection; and with the view of aiding you in this particular an order has been issued to the assistant quartermaster at Fort Ridgely to turn over to the assistant quartermaster of the expedition such common tents as may be requisite to be used in storing such articles as would otherwise be injured by exposure. The pork and flour will be injured by the sun, and should therefore be protected, and the hard bread, with many other articles of subsistence stores, of course require great care in case of wet weather. When necessary you can employ two or three of the scouts to carry dispatches to Fort Ridgely and return from that point unless a contingency should which would require immediate reply from these headquarters, in which case the messengers should wait at Fort Ridgley for such dispatches. You will be expected to communicate all the important information you can obtain relative to the movements of the Indians, the point selected for the post, facilities for building, &c. - in fact, everything that is connected with the object of your expedition should be made known to these headquarters in detail. Captain McKusick, assistant quartermaster, will leave by stage to-morrow morning to join your command and will be the bearer of this dispatch.

By command of Brigadier-General Sibley:

I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. C. OLIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF WEST MISS., Numbers 63.
New Orleans, La., July 10, 1864.

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III. Captain H. W. Closson, First U. S. Artillery, is hereby relieved from duty as chief of artillery of the Nineteenth Army Corps, and will proceed without delay to this city, and take command of his company,