HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF THE FRONTIER,
Fort Smith, Ark., April 6, 1864.

Major General S. R. CURTIS,

Commanding Department of Kansas:

GENERAL: A strict compliance with General Orders, No. 15, War Department, January 11, 1864, and also paragraph III of your order promulgating the same, would require me to send Companies B, L, and M, of the Fourteenth Kansas, and Company A, of the Second Kansas, to their commands in the Department of Arkansas. To do so would leave me entirely destitute of mounted force, as they are the only cavalry under my command. Under these circumstances I will retain them until I have other mounted force to relieve them, or until I receive further instructions from you in the matter, as it is impossible for me to do without some mounted men for scouting and escort duty.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAS. G. BLUNT,

Major-General.

PAOLA, KANS., April 6, 1864.

Captain JOHN WILLANS,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Fort Leavenworth, Kans.:

Colonel Lynde, with his regiment, encamped 6 miles northeast of here last night, and appears to be moving toward the Missouri line. Your dispatch has been forwarded to him.

THOS. J. McKEAN,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding District.

WASHINGTON, D. C., April 6, 1864.

Major-General POPE,

Milwaukee:

GENERAL: I have just received your telegram in answer to inquiry about Iowa cavlary regiment. There have been numerous unsuccessful efforts by members of Congress to get the Sixth Iowa Cavalry out of your department, and I presume that the same parties had represented to General Grant that there was a regiment available belonging to that State which they desired to have sent South. For some reason or other they do not wish this regiment to go into the Indian campaign, and hence their efforts to get it out of your command.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. HALLECK.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE NORTHWEST,
Milwaukee, Wis., April 6, 1864.

P. CHOUTEAU & CO.,

Saint Louis, Mo.:

GENTLEMEN: Your letter of the 26th ultimo to General Halleck has been sent to me, and reached me yesterday.* As all letters of this character addressed to the authorities in Washington are sent to me for such action as I may think expedient, I would suggest

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*See Part II, p.743.

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