Santa Fe road; also that they are murdering the whites wherever found. Militia collecting to aid me in attacking the Indians, but they gather slowly. All well.

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO,

Numbers 28.
Santa Fe, N. Mex., July 24, 1864.

I. Major Julius C. Shaw, First Cavalry New Mexico Volunteers, will proceed without delay to Fort Canby, Numbers Mex., and relieve in the command of that post Major P. W. L. Plympton, U. S. Seventeenth Infantry.

II. Major P. W. L. Plympton, U. S. Seventeenth Infantry, on being relieved as commanding officer at Fort Canby, N. Mex., will proceed without delay to Fort Schuyler, N. Y. Harbor, and report for duty.

* * * * * *

By command of Brigadier- General Carleton:

BEN. C. CUTLER,

Assistant Adjutant- General.

WASHINGTON, D. C., July 25, 1864- 8.20 p. m.

Major- General CANBY,

Natchez, via Cairo:

The President is of opinion that General McNeil should be sent to Missouri if he can be spared.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

U. S. FLAG- SHIP HARTFORD,

WEST GULF SQUADRON,

Off Mobile, July 25, 1864.

Major-General CANBY,

Commanding Military Division of West Mississippi:

GENERAL: As the winds give some evidence int he last three days of an early fall, time is very precious with us, and I cannot urge too strongly upon you the necessity of bringing all your forces up into Mississippi Sound and landing a force first in the rear of Fort Gaines. The menace is good, for they are now transporting everything over to Morgan from Gaines and doing everything they can to increase the strength of Morgan. But my reason is stronger than that. Gaines must fall to make my communication good if I get inside. I think a small force will only be necessary, say 1,000 men. When I once get inside I can approach within three- quarters of a mile with the vessels of Gaines and as close as I please with the New Orleans monitors,. I can give your forces perfect protection on Dauphin Island with the gunboats, and they can be supplied with everything by the steamers with great ease. For the last three days it has been rough outside. We sent a small party on shore the other night and captured one of their pickets near the place we suppose you would land, in the rear of Fort Morgan. Captain Stephens reports that the landing was very good. We