HDQRS. DIST. OF MINN., DEPT. OF THE NORTHWEST,
Saint Paul, Minn., January 17, 1864.

Mr. A. FARIBAULT:

DEAR SIR: From recent information at these headquarters received it appears that Tah-naf-soo-o-tah and Wah-she-chou-wilkou-e-i-dan, two of the lower Sioux who were principally engaged in the massacres of 1862, were about Faribault for some months during the last summer and fall. If so, Taopee and other of the friendly Indians must have known of their presence, and should have given the necessary information to the military authorities, that they might be apprehended. I will be obliged to you if you will make diligent inquiry into the facts of the case as it is requisite I should know if any of the Indians supposed to be friendly, and enjoying the protection of the whites at or near Faribault have so far forgotten their obligations of good faith as to conceal hostile and criminal Indians who have ventured to appear among them. A prompt investigation and reply will be thankfully acknowledged.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. H. SIBLEY,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

BATON ROUGE, LA., January 18, 1864-9 a.m.

(Received 11 a.m.)

Brigadier-General STONE,

Chief of Staff:

I learn that some bodies of rebel troops have moved from points on the railroad to quarters near Newtown. Believed to be about 20 miles north of Clinton.

P. ST. GEO. COOKE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Post.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. 19TH A. C. AND U. S. FORCES, Numbers 5.
Franklin, La., January 18, 1864

During the absence of Major W. Hoffman, assistant adjutant-general, Nineteenth Army Corps, Captain Speed, assistant adjutant-general, First Division, Nineteenth Army Corps, will act as assistant adjutant-general of the corps and U. S. forces in the the field, Franklin, La., and will be obeyed and respected accordingly.

By order of Brigadier-General Emory:

WICKHAM HOFFMAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES IN TEXAS,
Matagorda Peninsula, January 18, 1864

Major General E. O. C. ORD,

Commanding Thirteenth Army Corps, New Orleans:

I wrote you a hurried unofficial note by Major Seward yesterday, and since then nothing of interest has transpired here.

This is the sixth day since my arrival here, and my time has been mostly occupied in reconnoitering. I spent one day at Indianola, where all of the First Division now in Texas in concentrated, and