This guarding of plantations and private property of all kinds must be a minor consideration, and the interest of the service must be the first consideration.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. H. DYER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

PINE BLUFF, August 20, 1864.

Brigadier General E. A. CARR:

Your dispatch is received. Your order in reference to my guarding plantations is unnecessary, as I am not engaged in that business at present.

POWELL CLAYTON,

Colonel, Commanding.

LITTLE ROCK, August 20, 1864-3.20 p. m.

Colonel CLAYTON,

Commanding Pine Bluff:

You must keep close watch of the telegraph line on your end. Your troops must not be occupied in guarding plantations when it interferes in the slightest degree with their other duties or their comforts. I am sending a train to the neighborhood of Clear Lake for forage. Warn them if any force is coming up the river on the north side. Reconnaissance toward Princeton has not gone much farther than Benton. Found 100 cavalry in Benton and a report that Crawford's brigade had been there two hours before. Will stay there a day or two longer and push forward reconnaissance as far as possible. It is a good time for you to make reconnaissance too. The Saline rebels seem to be moving somewhere. One hundred and sixth and One hundred and twenty-sixth Illinois Infantry will embark for your post unless something happens to prevent it.

E. A. CARR,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS SAINT LOUIS DISTRICT,
Saint Louis, Mo., August 20, 1864.

Major WILSON,

Pilot Knob:

Order at once one squadron of cavalry to De Soto to relieve Captain Montgomery, Sixth Missouri Volunteer Cavalry.

By order of Brigadier-General Ewing:

H. HANNAHS,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

PILOT KNOB, August 20, 1864.

Lieutenant H. HANNAHS:

I have no information that Shelby or any of his forces are in Missouri. A portion of Freeman's command were in Thomasville a few days since.

JAMES WILSON,

Major, Commanding.