HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, NINETEENTH ARMY CORPS,
White River, Ark., September 23, 1864.

Major General J. J. REYNOLDS:

GENERAL: I have the honor to transmitting to you herewith two communications from Major-General Steele bearing your address, also a telegraphic dispatch from Major-General Steele to Colonel Cummings, by whose hand the communications were received. The intelligence conveyed in the inclosed dispatch agrees in its main features with information I received to-day from the commanding officer of the gun-boat stationed at Napoleon, Ark. His informant estimates the enemy's force at 14,000 (6,000 being cavalry), and that the entire force is moving toward Little Rock. I advised General Steele of the nature of these reports this morning. In addition to the dispatch Colonel Cummings desired me to say to you that General Steele requested of him in case he saw you at this point to ask that this command, or at least the brigade at Saint Charles, might be left for the present until the designs of the enemy are discovered. He thinks their hope in sending the force into Missouri was to draw him from Little Rock, and now that they have failed in this that they will concentrate all their available force and attack that point or Pine Bluff. I send this together with the dispatches by one of my staff officers to Vicksburg, and hope it may reach you without delay.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ELIAS S. DENNIS,

Brigadier-General.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

LITTLE ROCK, September 22, 1864.

Major General J. J. REYNOLDS:

(Care of Colonel Cummings.)

Major Attkisson, Fiftieth Indiana, as escaped prisoner, just from Tyler, Tex., says that 2,500 Texans, infantry, with a train, were marching on Fort Smith. It was reported that they were going to co-operate with Price. My messengers sent to Fort Smith during the last three weeks have not been heard from. Captain Comstock, Thirty-third Iowa, just from Camden, confirms the report in regard to Texas troops passing Camden. He says he saw five regiments, and that the rebels seemed very confident that they would have possession of the Arkansas.

F. STEELE,

Major-General.

[Inclosure Numbers 2.]

LITTLE ROCK, ARK., September 22, 1864.

Colonel CUMMINGS,

Devall's Bluff:

I send a dispatch to General Reynolds. If he has gone, please forward it to General Canby. From what Mrs. McCune tells me there is a large rebel force between Monticello and the Mississippi. They must intend to cross the Mississippi or attack Pine Bluff. There is a rebel force at Washington. Shall i address you at Philadelphia?

F. STEELE,

Major-General.