who will make quick time. You can open the dispatches for me and seal them again. I wish the contents of this dispatch to be confidential as far as possible. You will act accordingly in the way of preparation.

Very respectfully,

JOHN M. THAYER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

P. S.--I can hear nothing of Cooper in this direction. Do you think he has moved south? If so, I shall send for a train.

J. M. THAYER,

Brigadier-General.

MOUTH OF WHITE RIVER, ARK.,

October 18, 1864.

Major General N. J. T. DANA,

Commanding Sixteenth Army Corps:

GENERAL: Inclosed please find copy of a communication* received at 7 o'clock this morning from Brigadier-General Smith, Memphis, Tenn. General Dennis is absent at present, having gone to Little Rock to consult with Major-General Steele, but will be back to-day. The troops that have been arriving in the last few days we have been forwarding up White River as fast as transportation could be secured. There are now two brigades up that stream--one at Saint Charles, the other at Devall's Bluff, Ark. There seems to be no immediate necessity for troops up White River, and as the call from Memphis seems to be of an urgent nature, I have thought best to send the First Brigade of this division, Colonel B. Dornblaser commanding, to that point, there fortunately being transportation sufficient at this point for that purpose. This will leave one brigade of white troops and three regiments of colored troops and one battery at this point, from which we can readily re-enforce either General Steele or General Smith, as the case may be. As I have before stated, General Dennis will be back to-day. He will, of course, know the state of affairs now existing in General Steele's department, and can judge whether it will be expedient to send another brigade to the support of Brigadier-General Smith or otherwise.

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

WM. E. KUHN,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, NINETEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Mouth of White River, Ark., October 18, 1864.

Brigadier General M. L. SMITH,

Commanding District of Memphis:

GENERAL: Your communication of date October 16 was received at 7 this a. m. General Dennis is absent at present, having gone to Little Rock, Ark., to consult with Major-General Steele. In his absence I have the honor to state that our orders from below were to send our entire force up White River. General Steele's call was for one brigade, which has been sent him. We designed sending another brigade

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*See October 16 (inclosure), p. 72.

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