200 wagons sent to this department at once? A special messenger bears this dispatch to Cairo, and will proceed to nashville with a more detailed report of matters in this department. Communication between Little Rock and Saint Louis by telegraph has been cut off for three weeks.

Respectfully,

W. D. GREEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Major General W. T. SHERMAN,

Commanding Mil. Div. of the Miss., Nashville, Tenn.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS, &C., Little Rock, Ark., April 28, 1864.

GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose herewith copies* of telegrams from Colonel Powell Clayton, commanding at Pine Bluff, relative to the loss of a train and escort en route from Camden to Pine Bluff for supplies.

In addition to the information contained therein, I am informed by Captain Dunham, aide-de-camp, who left Camden on the 24th instant with dispatches from General Steele to General Banks, that a large forage train, sent out by General Steele from Camden on the 18th instant, was captured by Marmaduke's forces, along with most of the escort, supposed to have consisted of about 800 infantry and cavalry and 2 pieces of artillery. This, if true, and there can be but little doubt of it, leaves General Steele in a very critical situation with reference to supplies. From the best information we can get here, has only enough subsistence to last him to the 1st day of May.

A train of 120 wagons left Pine Bluff for Camden to-day, loaded with scant five day's rations for his command, and comprises all the land transportation in the department, and to make it up every horse and mule to be found was pressed into the service by General Steele's orders.

General West, in command of the troops in the absence of General Steele, is of the opinion that our forces will be compelled to fall back for want of supplies, but is doing everything in his power to forward them, and has sent as escort to the train from Pine Bluff all the troops that can be spared from the line of the Arkansas, about 3,000 men, mixed infantry and cavalry, and two batteries of artillery, the whole commanded by General Andrews. Permit me tore new the request made by telegram of this date, to have mules and wagons sent to this department immediately; also to ask for General Steele, in his absence, that at least 3,000 cavalry, or the same number of cavalry horses, be sent as soon as possible.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. D. GREEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Major General W. T. SHERMAN,

Commanding, &c., Nashville, Tenn.,

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*See Clayton's dispatches, forwarded to Halleck, pp. 664, 665.

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