the enemy's expedition, should such an one be made, very hazardous, while you can perfectly cover Marshall. Send the first troops that arrive down toward Mansfield to watch the approaches and give timely notice of the enemy's approach to you and department headquarters.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. CUNNINGHAM,

Lieutenant and Aide-de-Camp.

CIRCULAR
HEADQUARTERS PRICE'S DIVISION, No. 26. Shreveport, La., March 24, 1864.

I. The head of Price's division will move to-morrow morning at 7 o'clock through Shreveport, crossing Red River on the pontoon bridge opposite town. The brigades will take up the line of march in the order in which they are now encamped, the baggage trains of the several brigades marching in rear of the whole column in the same order that the brigades march.

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By order of Brigadier-General Drayton:

L. A. MACLEAN,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT, No. 72. Shreveport, La., March 24, 1864.

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II. The troops of General Price's command (Price's division) now in the vicinity of Shreveport will be organized into two divisions, the Arkansas troops to compose the First Division, the Missouri troops to compose the Second Division. They will be commanded, respectively, by their senior officers, Brigadier Gens. T. J. Churchill and M. M. Parsons.

By command of Lieutenant General E. Kirby Smith:

S. S. ANDERSON,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

UNOFFICIAL.] SHREVEPORT, LA., March 24, 1864.

Brigadier General J. E. SLAUGHTER:

DEAR GENERAL: General Smith tells me to inclose to General Magruder the within papers,* relating to a proposition made by Messrs. Beaumont to raise a regiment for the Confederate service in Sonora and Sinaloa. He has not so good an opportunity as you have in Houston of getting information, which will enable him to decide upon the propriety of accepting these propositions, so he refers the whole matter for your investigation and decision, which he directs me to say he will sustain. You can see Judge Terry and others in Houston, whose opinion in regard to the feasibility of

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*Not found.

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