of the enemy at Madam B. Metoyer's place, about 13 miles below here on the Cane River road. The hour at which Colonel Vincent's dispatch was written is not mentioned, but it was probably written an hour and a half ago. Walker's and Mouton's divisions were to encamp last night at Fort Jesup, and are expected, to camp to-night in the vicinity of Pleasant Hill. The Fifth Texas Regiment (Colonel McPhaill's) went down to Colonel Vincent's assistance at 5 o'clock this morning. The second regiment of the advance of Green's division (Colonel Herbert's), expected here this morning has not arrived yet.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. H. MAY,

[Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.]

[No. 2514.] HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT, Shreveport, La., March 31, 1864

Major General R. TAYLOR,

Commanding Dist. of Wet Louisiana,in the Field:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 29th instant. Major Thomas has been directed to collect supplies at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. Colonel O'Bannon will endeavor to collect wagons through the country below for the purposes desired by yourself. He has no disposable transportation here at his command. Your chief quartermaster might send his own agents above Natchitoches with instructions to collect the transportation of the country. Steele was at Arkadelphia on the morning of the 28th, with four brigades of infantry a division of cavalry, and thirty pieces of artillery. A brigade was moving to his support from the upper Arkansas. His force is estimated at from 10,000 to 12,000. * His line of march will probably be by Washington. He comes in the most favorable direction for our operations. Should these columns push on our position gives us great facilities for concentrating on one or the other. While General Price's force is not sufficient to engage the enemy with his large cavalry force, he should retard their advance, and, operating on their line of communications, make their movement extremely hazardous, if not disastrous. If the enemy moves up from Alexandria in the force reported you will be compelled to fall back toward Pleasant Hill, and Mansfield. A general engagement should not be risked without hopes of success. The enemy have now west of the Mississippi some 50,000 men operating against us. We do good service in giving occupation to so large a force, which should be employed in the campaigns in Georgia and Virginia. The destruction of either of the little armies at our disposal would be fatal to the whole cause and to the department. Our role must be a defensive policy where the enemy is largely our superior, and where our columns come within a practicable distance of each other, concentrating rapidly upon and crushing one or the other of the enemy's column. Our situation here, with the enemy coming from Washington on the east bank of Red River, and from Natchitoches on the west bank, is extremely favorable for successfully effecting such a concentration. The delay of Green's command in reporting to you is most extraordinary. I

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*From this to end of dispatch is inclosure Numbers 1 (Numbers 2514) to Smith's report of June 11, 1864.

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