and during the winter have schools of instruction for officers and men, so that next spring the command may be in better condition for service. It may be necessary to place a regiment (say the Chickasaw) at the Rock Academy or at Colbert's Mill to guard the road from the mouth of Little River and to Fort Washita, the route Phillips took last winter. The Jack's Fork Depot can be supplied from Boggy Depot or from mouth of Boggy without serious interruption from high water during the winter. It could be best supplied from mouth of Boggy. No watercourse of any size in the way after crossing Red River. It may also be well to place a regiment of Choctaws at Coffey's during the winter, directly on the route from Jack's Fork Depot to Doaksville and mouth of Boggy. I make these suggestions in time, so that if my plans are approved necessary steps may be taken to prepare cantonments on the Boggies. I shall to-day order Captain Howell to take two rifle pieces down to exchange for 12-pounder howitzers or Parrott guns. Those he has are unfit for service. He will also take his horses to the rear to fatten. Remaining guns will be hauled by mules, though it is a dangerous experiment in battle. These animals almost invariably stampede and run off during an engagement. Is it possible to get fresh horses?

Respectfully,

D. H. COOPER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,
Shreveport, La., October 6, 1864.

Honorable P. W. GRAY,

Treasury Agent:

SIR: I have, under date of the 27th ultimo, ordered Lieutenant Colonel W. J. Hutchins, at Houston, Tex., to supply and arrange to ship, without delay, to Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, sufficient cotton to realize, beyond contingencies, the net sum of $90,000, to be placed to your credit, as agent of the Treasury for this department, on the books of that firm, copies of bills of lading to be sent to you and to these headquarters. Upon receipt of the bills of lading you will please draw your bill of exchange, in triplicate, on Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, to the order of Major William H. Haynes, chief of the clothing bureau for this department, at sixty days' sight (acceptance waived) for the sum of Ponds.18,556 14s. 2nd., English currency, for which he will receipt to you on this requisition, and will account to the Government for its disbursement under my orders.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. KIRBY SMITH,

General.

SHREVEPORT, October 6, 1864.

Major General J. G. WALKER,

Anderson, Tex.:

If Terry's regiment has not marched General Smith wishers it to come here.

P. H. THOMSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.