have been no bands of guerrillas or rebels in that portion of my district lying in Missouri for the past nine weeks, and law and order has prevailed in all parts of this portion.

My impression is that it would be of great advantage to this portion of the State for you to announce these facts in a proclamation, and guarantee military protection, and recommend all who have deserted their lands and farms to return to them at once and raise a crop this current year. It is of vast importance to all Southern Missouri that Missouri troops be permitted to operate and scout in the northern tier of counties in Arkansas, which are made the base of all guerrilla and robbing operations that go on in the State, unless General Steele shall keep a good force in each one of those counties. You should have an understanding with General Steele or the Secretary of War in regard to this matter. I have written to General Rosecrans in relation to it. Nearly all my operations previous to the change of departments were confined to this region, and the result was that Missouri was kept clear of enemies, and we obtained a large portion of our forage from enemies of Arkansas.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN B. SANBORN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS,
WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 69.
Washington, February 22, 1864.

The following proclamation is published for the information of all concerned:

By the President of the United State of America:

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas by my proclamation of the 19t of April, 1861, the ports of the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas were, for reasons therein set forth, placed under blockade; and whereas the port of Brownsville, in the District of Brazos Santiago, in the State of Texas, has since been blockaded, but as the blockade of said port may now be safely relaxed with advantage to the interests of commerce:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, pursuant to the authority in me vested by the fifth section of the act of Congress approved on the 13th of July, 1861, entitled "An act further to provide for the collection of duties on imports, and for other purposes," do hereby declare that the blockade of the said port of Brownsville shall so far cease and determined from and after this date that commercial intercourse with said port, except as to persons, things, and information hereinafter specified, may from this date, be carried on, subject to the laws of the United States, to the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, and, until the rebellion shall have been suppressed, to such orders as may be promulgated by the general commanding the department, or by an officer duly authorized by him and commanding at said port. This proclamation does not authorize or allow the shipment or conveyance of persons in or intending to enter the service of the insurgents, or of things or information intended for their use, or for