1,300 men, and by the 10th of May I hope to have the remainder of the troops in a position ready to embark. All the troops will embark at Indianola.

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

C. A. WAITE,

Colonel, Commanding Department.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, March 16, 1861.

Lieutenant Colonel L. THOMAS,

Asst. Adjt. General, Army Headquarters, Washington, D. C.

COLONEL: I have the honor to forward herewith a copy of a letter* received from Major C. C. Sibley, Third Infantry, reporting the movements of the troops on the Rio Grande. The distance from Fort McIntosh to Fort Brown is about 230 miles, and Major Sibley's command may be expected to arrive at the latter place about the 24th instant.

I have not recently received any official information of the condition of affairs at Fort Brown, but, from the reports which have reached me, do not anticipate any difficulty with the State troops.

Colonel Bonneville being out of the department, and Colonel Backus having received a leave of absence on account of his health, the command of the Third Infantry will devolve on Major Sibley.

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

C. A. WAITE,

Colonel, Commanding Department.

[For Reports, Orders, Correspondence, etc., relating to the surrender of Forts Brown, Chadbourne, and Camps Cooper and Colorado, in the State of Texas, and the seizure of public funds sent to pay the U. S. troops, see Series I, Vol. I, p. 535 et seq.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, March 27, 1861.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

Headquarters of the Army, Washington, D. C.

SIR: In case the difficulty between the General Government and the seceding States should result in hostilities, there is reason to apprehend that an attempt may be made to prevent the embarkation of the troops and to detain them as prisoners of war. This can only be effected by their seizing and removing all lighters, preventing transports of light draught entering the bay at Indianola, and by cutting off our supplies of provisions, &c. To avoid an attempt of that kind, and to be prepared to meet if it made, I am concentrating the troops at the camp near Green Lake as rapidly as possible. This camp is full twenty miles from Indianola and is the nearest place to the coast where fresh water can be obtained. The difficulty, amounting almost to impossibility, of supplying the troops with water at Indianola prevents my moving them down to that place. Not a line has been received at these headquarters from

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*See Series I, Vol. I, p. 534, for Sibley's letter.

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