HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, Brazos Santiago, Tex., November 25, 1864.

Major GEORGE B. DRAKE,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the Gulf:

MAJOR: I have the honor to state that the public horses in this command are wholly unserviceable, being the broken-down and diseased horses left by the Thirteenth Army Corps. I am having these animals inspected, and will send those unserviceable to New Orleans. I think all will be condemned. I cannot procure beef for this command without a small cavalry be sent to this place. Will you submit this request to the major-general commanding department, and inform me of his decision? So soon as the fortifications now in course of erection are completed, there should be three companies of heavy artillery sent here, with additional guns and ordnance stores. I shall report in full the discipline and efficiency of the command by next steamer.

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

WM. A. PILE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

STEAMER DOVE, Mouth of White River, Ark., November 25, 1864.

Major General J. J. REYNOLDS:

SIR: After leaving you last night at 9 a. m. I proceeded up the river on the steamer Dove, and at Henrico Landing, fifteen miles above this place, overhauled the steamer James Watson, commanded by Captain John T. Watson, lying at the shore, having just taken on board six bales of cotton for George D. Marten. I arrested the boat and have returned with her to this place for the purpose of delivering her to you, charged with having unlawfully landed Marten on the 20th instant on her down trip, and eighteen packages of the bale rope and bagging, and last night about 12 o'clock having landed and taken on board six bales of cotton. Marten is the son-in-law of G. a. Henry, a member of the so-called Confederate Congress. He portends to have leased Henry's plantation, on which the cotton was raised, and which belonged to Henry. He pretends to own the corps of cotton on it, which is estimated at 120 bales, by having made a contract with J. A. McDowell, esq., the Treasury agent at Helena, on the 14th instant. He portends he has made a contract with the negroes who raised the cotton. I have examined Captain John T. Watson, the clerk, Augustus Brown, the Government aide, W. C. Adams, and am of the opinion that all three of them knowingly and willfully violated the military and naval orders now in force. I hand you with this a bundle of papers containing the evidence, which is documentary. The witnesses are the above-named and David Fry, watchman on the Watson, Jerry Henry (colored), from the plantation, two citizens, James Watson and Peter Peterson, and all the persons on board. I call your attention especially to the papers. This G. D. Marten applied to me a short time ago at Helena for a papers mit for supplies, and in questioning him he concealed the fact of his connection with G. A. Henry, but he induced me to suspect he was Henry's agent. I am now of the opinion that he is such agent.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

N. B. BUFORD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.