River. Captain Robinson, Third Arkansas, African Descent, will take command of the Cheek when you leave and will start on his return at the hour you may fix. Look out for an ample supply of fuel.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

N. B. BUFORD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

P. S. - If not out of your way, arrest Willis Mason, who lives 6 miles from Trenton, and bring him here.

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

Captain HOLIBAUGH,

Island 65:

SIR: Your report of the 1st is received. I have had a cavalry force in the rear of Friar's Point on the 31st ultimo and the 1st and 2nd instant, and they report the enemy retreated across the Coldwater. They may be back again, but if you do not allow any communication with the shore and destroy all the crafts that you hear of, they will not be likely to try to cross to you. I have given Captain Brown, of the gun-boat 26, a request to prevent the possibility of the enemy's capturing one of the cotton-boats and using her to ferry over. Exercise your reason. Build new fortifications. If the enemy were to plant artillery on the shore, with proper precautions he could not injure you.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

N. B. BUFORD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. DISTRICT OF NORTHEASTERN ARKANSAS,
Batesville, Ark., February 4, 1864.

Colonel RICHMOND,

Commanding, Devall's Bluff, Ark.:

COLONEL: The steamer Mill Boy was wrecked on the way to this station, 9 miles above Jacksonport, through the sheer carelessness of the parties intrusted with running her. She was anchored with a half-rotten cable of hemp, during the night, and in a violent gale. No steam was kept up, she parted the rope, and before another anchor could be dug out from under the rubbish allowed to be piled over it, or before steam could be raised, she drifted onto a snag, sprung a leak, and sunk. No lives were lost, but about 35 tons of subsistence stores and all the forage taken on at your post. The caisson and gun carriage were lost; the gun was saved, and it is now with the guard over my subsistence stores brought by the Pocahontas, and still lying where she left them, near Jacksonport. I tried to send a dispatch through to you by land, but the streams are all so swollen it had to return.

Captain Dunscomb, Third Arkansas Cavalry, who came here from Little Rock with dispatches, reached Red River opposite Searcy; on his way back found the river swollen out of its banks, the bottom overflowed, all the ferry-boats destroyed, McRae in possession of the south shore of Red River, rendering his crossing utterly imprac-

16 R R - VOL XXXIV, PT II