by your arm of the service. I understand from these men that the demonstrations which are occasionally made by the gun-boats near Caney are very annoying and troublesome to them; they often think we are about to make a landing, and send them miles off for cavalry, which comes down and keeps in the saddle all night. These stampedes have occurred so frequently that their horses have been very much run down, and the men overworked and disgusted. I hope demonstrations of threatening to land by shelling and lying in close and getting out boats will continue.

I have the honor to remain, with great respect,

N. J. T. DANA,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN ARKANSAS,
Helena, Ark., February 4, 1864.

Major General F. STEELE,

Commanding Seventh Army Corps:

DEAR SIR: Since your command includes all the troops in this State, of course it includes this one. It gives me great pleasure to be under your command. Captain H. T. Noble, the assistant quartermaster at this post, feels it his duty to consult you and your chief quartermaster. He will hand you this. I have pleasure in commending him to you as a most intelligent and faithful officer. After the order assigning the troops of this district to your command, but perhaps before it was received at Memphis, General Hurlbut took my only two reliable white infantry regiments, the Thirty-third Missouri and the Twenty-fifth Wisconsin, leaving me but a remnant of the Thirty-fifth Missouri of 236 men for duty. My seven companies of the Fifteenth Illinois Cavalry report only 296 for duty.

In view of the above facts, I have asked you for a good regiment of at least 500 infantry and at least 300 additional cavalry. I suggested that it would be advisable to send the cavalry up White River as far as Des Arc, or some other post, and march them to this place via Madison, on the Saint Francis, employing good guides to lead them against the camp of General McRae, who was between White River and the Cache when I last had positive information. I repeat to you, there are at least twenty parts of cavalry companies reporting to General McRae, and in my vicinity I can only keep the guerrillas at bay by constant raids on them. I have this day sent a force to Indian Bay by water, to march from that place here, hoping to encounter Davis' or Mayo's companies.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

N. B. BUFORD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN ARKANSAS,
Helena, Ark., February 4, 1864.

Captain PRICHETT,

U. S. Navy:

DEAR SIR: The small guerrilla parties continue to annoy me and run before my scouts, so that it is difficult to get more than 3 or 4 at a time. To get in the rear and to reach a camp, of which I have