HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, March 6, 1861.

Lieutenant Colonel L. THOMAS,

Asst. Adjt. General, Hdqrs. of the Army, Washington, D. C.

COLONEL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communications forwarded by Major Porter,* assistant adjutant-general, which were delivered to me on the 4th instant by Lieutenant Major, Second Cavalry. Major Porter was to leave Indianola on the 2nd instant for Brazos Santiago.

The difficulty of placing provisions at Brazos Santiago for the use of the troops whilst awaiting the arrival of the transports, the collection of a large Texan force at Brownsville or in its vicinity, which would render a depot at that place insecure, and the small number of United States troops on the Rio Grande below Fort McIntosh, have induced me to charge my arrangements so far as to have all the troops embark at Indianola. Should it, however, be deemed expedient hereafter to have a part of the troops embark at the Brazos, the transports can easily be ordered from Indianola to that point. I have, therefore, to request that all of the vessels sent out to take the troops may be directed to proceed to Indianola.

Two companies of the Third Infantry (John's and Clitz's) were ordered to Fort Brown from Ringgold Barracks to relieve the artillery, and as it is probable that they reached that post before the arrival at Brazos of the steamer Daniel Webster, I presume they embarked with the artillery. Major Porter wrote me that he would "make every effort to take with me [him] the garrison of Ringgold Barracks. "

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. A. WAITE,

Colonel, U. S. Army, Commanding Department.

P. S. - I beg that it may be borne in mind that I am dependent entirely on the commissioners on the part of Texas for the use of the means of transportation, which were heretofore under the control of the quartermaster's department. As difficulties are daily occurring to retard our operations, and frequently to delay the march of the troops, I cannot feel that certainty of having them at the points selected for concentration at any given time that I should do if entirely independent of the commissioners and free to act agreeably to my own judgment.

Very respectfully,

C. A. WAITE,

Colonel, U. S. Army, Commanding Department.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
Washington, March 12, 1861.

Colonel CARLOS A. WAITE, U. S. Army, or

SENIOR OFFICER OF DUTY WITH U. S. TROOPS,

AT BRAZOS AND INDIANOLA, TEX.

SIR: The general-in-chief directs that the troops arriving at Brazos and at Indianola, Tex., for embarkation shall proceed to the harbor of New York, where they will receive further orders.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

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*See Thomas to Waite, February 7, Series I, Vol. I, p. 587.

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