21. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Everett, Second Louisiana Mounted Infantry Volunteers, is detached from his regiment and assigned to the command of the cavalry camp of instruction and distribution. He will report to Colonel J. P. Sherburne, chief of cavalry of the department, for instructions.

* * * *

By command of Major-General Banks:

W. D. PUTNAM,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

NEW ORLEANS, LA., August 31, 1864-5 p. m.

General LAWLER,

Morganza, La.:

Embark the Second Division, with twenty days' rations, for mouth of White River, where the troops will go into camp. Send transportation and its batteries with the division. Begin with the First Brigade and take them in order. The One hundred and sixty-first New York and Twenty-third Wisconsin are ordered from Mobile Bay, and the Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth Illinois will be picked up at Natchez by the Third Brigade. The Eighty-seventh Illinois, mounted, will go with the Second Division. The commanding officer of division will report his arrival by first opportunity to General Steele at Little Rock. Transports will return to Morganza from mouth of White River.

J. J. REYNOLDS,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN ARKANSAS,
Helena, Ark., August 31, 1864.

Major W. H. MORGAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

No reports out of White River; boats have gone up, including some tin-clads, but none come out. There is trouble there. The river is cut I believe. My force of 500 men went up White River at 8 a. m. yesterday. A tin-clad followed up at 12 m. I will get a report to-night across country from my scout. The rebels are prohibiting all persons from coming in here, and are picketing all roads and paths. I will relieve them of that duty. This course of theirs means that they want nothing communicated.

In haste, respectfully,

WM. CROOKS,

Colonel, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN ARKANSAS,
Helena, Ark., August 31, 1864.

[Major W. H. MORGAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:]

MAJOR: I inclose statement* of a deserter just brought in. He says that Price-rather Churchill's division-camped at Camden August 10. Marmaduke intended to cross between Little Rock and Pine Bluff

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*Not found.

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