HEADQUARTERS DEFENSES OF NEW ORLEANS,
New Orleans, December 13, 1864.

Captain J. HIBBERT, Jr.,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Hdqrs. Department of the Gulf:

SIR: Yours of to-day is received. The Thirty-fourth Indiana is scattered and stationed as follows: One company at 21 Rampart street; two companies at Hickox's Lending; three companies at Camp Distribution; two companies at mouth Bayou Saint John and Lakeport; two companies at Chalmette. The aggregate strength for duty is 498. Aggregate present and absent 612. The regiment, though weak, is in fair discipline and of good material. It will be absolutely necessary to relieve the Thirty-fourth Indiana by another regiment before it can sail, and I would say two days' time would be necessary to effect this.

Very respectfully,

T. W. SHERMAN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, SEVENTH ARMY CORPS,
Devall's Bluff, Ark., December 13, 1864-11 a. m.

Captain S. E. GRAVES,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Little Rock:

I have sent Colonel Mattson, Third Minnesota, with 300 infantry and 150 cavalry on the Sir William Wallace and Kate Hart up as far as Augusta. The troops were aboard at 8 o'clock, but owing to the wind they did not get fairly off till within an hour. The plan is to capture Dobbin and McCray, on the other side of Cache River. I learned of their whereabouts and of a ford. Seventy-five cavalry will land at Peach Orchard Bluff and in the night proceed to Butt's Camp Ford, on Cache River, distant nine miles, cross, and thence go up to Alexander Miller's, three miles farther, where Dobbin stays. The rest of the cavalry will land just below Augusta, and, supported by infantry, move out to Gray's upper bridge, eight miles and a half, where is now a ferry-boat, cross, and endeavor to capture McCray at Edwards', three miles east of Cache River. McCray has one company with him. One hundred infantry will leave the boat at Negro Hill and go to West Point; another hundred will land on north bank of Little Red and go to the salt-works.

C. C. ANDREWS,

Brigadier-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS, Numbers 310.
Little Rock, Ark., December 13, 1864.

I. The following has just been received from the headquarters of Major-General Canby:

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
New Orleans, La., December 5, 1864.

Major-General STEELE,

Commanding Department of Arkansas:

Unless instructions to that effect have already been given, the major-general commanding directs that orders be at once issued for the evacuation of Fort Smith and dependencies, and the withdrawal to Little Rock of all the troops, supplies, &c. As a matter of course, everything at and about the fort that might be of use to the enemy will be destroyed.

C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.