supplies of all kinds. The division of General Fagan, the senior officer of your command, should be increased as soon as practicable. By command of General E. Kirby Smith:

W. R. BOGGS,

Brigadier- General and Chief of Staff.

[AUGUST 4, 1864.- For Douglas to Smith, submitting plan for crossing troops to east side ofthe Mississippi. see Part I. p. 96; and for Douglas to Meem, on same subject, see Part I, p. 98.]

CAMDEN, August 4, 1864.

Hon T. L. SNEAD:

MY DEAR SNEAD: I have this moment heard that an officer was about starting for east of Mississippi, and can send you a short letter. Hardesty arrived on evening of 31st of July. General Price left next morning for Shreveport, and will dispatch Hardesty or some other messenger soon as he returns. I shall not take time to tell you how much pleasure your communications and papers gave us. General Price has become impatient. The accounts from Missouri make him more anxious than ever on the subject of an advance into our State. I had been corresponding with Reynolds on the subject. The Governor wrote to the general to ask if he would be willing to command a cavalry force to go into Missouri. he replied that he would if General Smith was not prepared to move very soon with a force sufficient to occupy the Arkansas Valley. The next day he informed General Smith of is reply to Governor Reynolds. He requested General Smith to come to Camden or, if that was not convenient, for leave to go to Shreveport to confer with General Smith. He has telegraphed to go to Shreveport. Senators Johnson and Mitchell were also sent for, and I suppose there is to be a grand powwow. We have not heard from the general and feel some anxiety about hi, as he was quite sick when he started, and the weather has been awfully hot.

Shelby has ben eminently successful. His command has been increased to near 8,000 men. He has received 1,000 stand of arms from east of Mississippi and has had several successful engagements, in each of which he has taken arms to arm one or more hundred of his men. In a short time he will capture arms enough for his entire command. General Price will be able to start to Missouri with at least 10,000 cavalry, and if things there are as he is informed he will be able to maintain himself. If Steele moves up to his rear our infantry will be right after him. If he goes round by mississippi River our infantry will move on via Little Rock, It is reported that Walker's division is moving north from Louisiana, but you will hear all about these movements when General Price returns. Senator Mitchell announced that Marmaduke had been confirmed major- general. The information your give will be a terrible shock to Marmaduke. He has been absent for some time at Shreveport and Marshall on sick leave. His friends say he will apply or has applied to be relieved of his present command, in consequence of his belief that General Price's supposed hostility will prevent justice being done to him. I hear he wishes to go across the Mississippi. The intelligence that he is not a major- general will render him less disposed to return to his old command.

66 R R- VOL XLI, PT II