the Indians. Colonel Carson tells me that some twenty wagons and sixty work cattle are coming, as he understands, for the Indians. Colonel McFerran will have ten wagons, old and condemned, sent down from Fort Union. These will be given to them. Thus, little by little, they will have many conveniences. Tell them this, please. Some of their own horses should be broken to teaming and to plowing. It is possible a committee of the Legislature may come down to see how the Indians are getting on. Pray have them kindly received and shown everything. I know I can count on your constant thoughts and earnest and persistent efforts to send me in this important work, and shall feel always obliged to you for them.

Respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

JAMES H. CARLETON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

NOTE.-I shall start for Franklin about the 10th of November.

KEOKUK, IOWA, October 31, 1864.

Major J. F. MELINE,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Milwaukee, Wis.:

MAJOR: The assistant quartermaster at Davenport states that no horses are purchased there for the Cavalry Bureau. No protection worthy of the name can be afforded against guerrillas raids except by a mounted force, and as no cavalry is at hand I repeat the suggestion made in my letter of the 29th, that thirty horses be provided here, which, with twelve horses here, including ambulance horses, would enable us to make up small mounted force of convalescents, if necessity should arise. The horses can be kept here in charge of the quartermaster and groomed by details from the convalescents, under direction of non-commissioned officers. Horse equipments not sufficiently serviceable for continued use in the field, but sufficiently so for temporary use, can be obtained from among those turned in at the ordnance depots at Saint Louis. If these suggestions meet the approval of the major-general commanding, I respectfully ask that thirty horses and equipments for forty horses be procured and sent to this point. There is but one line officer here, a lieutenant commanding the company of Second Battalion Veteran Reserve Corps. I respectfully ask that Lieutenant Morton, Veteran Reserve Corps, now at Camp Reno, be ordered here for duty. I wish him to act here as provost-marshal of this place. Service of this kind is needed here. I also respectfully repeat my suggestion, that if practicable the services of a detective from Saint Louis, one who has had experience in Missouri, be secured here for a few weeks. The season in which guerrillas can conveniently operate is about ending by the approach of cold weather, and Price's retreat must in great part, it is thought, restore quiet. Because of this and because I am aware that the force in this department is small and little at hand for use in this section, I content myself with making the above suggestions.

With great respect, major obedient servant,

T. C. H. SMITH,

Brigadier-General.