FORT LEAVENWORTH, October 4, 1864.

Colonel JAMES H. FORD,

Kansas City:

In view of the dangers below you will allow no boats to pass down without special orders from military authorities below you.

S. S. CURTIS,

Major and Aide-de-Camp.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. EASTERN SUB-DIST. OF NEBR., Numbers 4.
Fort Kearny, Nebr. Ter., October 4, 1864.

I. The colonel commanding regrets to have to call the attention of post commanders to their manifest duty in ridding the great overland mail route of the hostile Indians who infest it. As it is honorable and praiseworthy for officers to attack and drive off any foe, so is it also discreditable to permit a poorly armed, half-naked, and miserably provided enemy to lurk about the neighborhood of their posts in utter defiance of our arms. More dash and activity must be infused in the troops of this command; scouting parties must be kept out to scout the country, and officers must not wait for intelligence of the proximity of Indians to be brought to them by citizens; but on the contrary, with the troops at their command, they are required to ascertain by actual reconnaissance all the news of the enemy's movements for which they are now dependent on citizens. Placed on this route to protect it, they must evince more energy in he discharge of their duty in this respect. While the colonel commanding is not slow to reprove inaction, he will be found quick to award full praise for the development of those soldierly qualities which shall ever distinguish the U. S. officer.

II. All officers of this command are required to acknowledge in writing the receipt of any circulars, general or special orders, sent from these headquarters immediately on receipt of the same.

By order of R. R. Livingston, colonel First Nebraska Cavalry, commanding sub-district:

F. A. MCDONALD,

First Lieutenant, First Nebraska Cavalry, Actg. Asst. Adjt. General

DENVER, October 4, 1864.

Major-General CURTIS,

Fort Leavenworth:

Yours of yesterday received. Every possible precaution has been taken. Line west of Julesburg perfectly safe.

J. M. CHIVINGTON,

Colonel.

HDQRS. DIST. OF MINNESOTA, DEPT. OF THE NORTHWEST,
Saint Paul, Minn., October 4, 1864.

Major General JOHN POPE,

Commanding Department of the Northwest, Milwaukee, Wis.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report my return last evening from an official visit to Fort Ripley. White there I minutely inspected the post and found it in pretty good order, but the discipline was quite lax, and I have ordered one of the new companies of the Independent Battalion to that point, and placed Major Thompson, Second [Minnesota] Cavalry

40 R R-VOL XLI, PT III