here, and who are greatly in favor of infantry, and why? Because they don't want their rebel friends in the brush hunted out. But we feel safe in saying that there is not a radical Union man in the county who would not join us in this petition, and we believe that even the better portion of the conservative men would. We have no objection to the infantry company remaining, but if we can have but one company we must have a cavalry company, and with a good cavalry company we believe we can get along without anything else. We trust, general, that you will agree with us as to the propriety of what we have asked, and that you will send the company at once, as it is greatly needed, and we will subscribe ourselves,

Your most obedient servants,

JOHN F. BAKER.

J. T. REDMOND.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER,

New Orleans, La., December 12, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Asst. Adjt. General, Mil. Div. of West Miss., New Orleans, La.:

SIR: I have the honor to submit to your consideration a statement of the information received at this office this 12th day of December, 1864, from the following source, the statement of C. B. Anderson, deserter from Company C, Fortieth Alabama Infantry (rebel):

Major J. D. Bradford's scouts, sixty in number, were ordered to report at Canton, Miss., then at Mechanicsburg, west side of the Big Black, where they arrived November 30, 1864. Their main object is to facilitate communication between the Trans-Mississippi and the Mississippi Departments (rebel). In the vicinity of Mechanicsburg Colonel Wood was reported with about 1,200 men. Colonel Griffith's command was at that date in Yazoo County.

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

F. W. MARSTON,

Major, Signal Corps, U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN ARKANSAS,
Helena, Ark., December 12, 1864.

Major General J. J. REYNOLDS,

Commanding Department of Arkansas:

SIR: You recollect the case of the forty-nine freedmen of Doctor Rozel, who claimed the protection of my troops and came on the steamer Dove, the commanding officer allowing them to bring along twenty bales of cotton, of which they claimed a half. I ordered a board of officers to investigate the case, and not satisfied with their decision, after taking your advice, I referred the case back to them. The second decision awarded ten bales to Doctor Rozell and ten to the freedmen. I approved the award and ordered the same board of officers to sell the freedmen's cotton at public auction and divide the proceeds among them. Previous to the day of sale the Treasury agent, Colonel McDowell, his clerk, and Acting Agent Captain Cowles, and his other clerks, took pains to inform the probable buyers that they would make trouble about this sale-it was illegal, &c. The sale was to be on the 8th

53 R R-VOL XLI, PT IV