HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS, &C.,
Little Rock, March 11, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel S. T. WELLS,

Commanding, Lewisburg:

Turn the command of the post of Lewisburg over to the senior officer of the Third Arkansas Cavalry, and move with your regiment, Fiftieth Indiana, tot this place as soon as possible, reporting the time of your departure by telegraph.

By order of Major General F. Steele:

WM. D. GREEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

FORT SMITH, ARK., March 11, 1864.

Major General U. S. GRANT:

Generals Curtis and Blunt are making an effort to have the western tier of counties of Arkansas set off to the Department of Kansas. If they should succeed it would take away all the troops of the old army of the counties which are now in Department of Arkansas. If they can't get the tier of counties they will try to get a part of the troops. I would respectfully ask that you would advise the War Department against any such changes. Please excuse me for sending dispatch to you direct.

JOHN M. THAYER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., March 11, 1864.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: I find the political condition of Missouri such that better results than have hitherto been attainted by our military forces might justly be anticipated, with much inferior number of troops, disciplined, well commanded, and beyond the suspicion of local party bias. The time is now ripe and the people prepared to concur in such a change. I therefore telegraphed for the Forty-fourth Ohio to be sent to the northern part of this State, because I knew the regiment and its commander. Any other troops not liable to be influenced by hopes and fear of their future, especially Eastern troops, under good officers, will answer the purpose.

As the measure involves in a great degree the pacification of the State, a matter the importance of which is greatly enhanced by the prospect of a very heated political canvass for State officers during the summer. I earnestly request that immediate action may be taken in the matter. Another reason for its being done at once is, that by the aid of the incoming troops we shall be able to convert most of the Missouri State Militia troops, which are excellent material, into U. S. volunteers, or veterans, thereby largely increasing their efficiency, diminishing expense, and putting a stop to the taking of horses, which arises among these troops now because they own their horses and get paid for them, while it will also improve the quality of the stock, which it is at present the interest of the