It is not intended that General Hunter shall give orders in my name further than the instructions addressed to him are such orders, but to express more fully my views than I can well do on paper, and to remain with you until such time as you will be able to say definitely at what time you will commence your movement against Mobile.

In your letter of the 2nd of April, brought by Lieutenant Towner, you, in anticipation of the enemy falling back from Shreveport, propose a movement through Texas in pursuit of him. You had not when the letter was written received my instructions of the 31st of March. I hope those instructions reached you before such a movement was commenced. I would much rather the Red River expedition had never been begun than that you should be detained one day after the 1st of May in commencing your movement east of the Mississippi.

If you have commenced to move from Shreveport to the interior of Texas, or away from the Red River in any direction, retrace your steps on receipt of this. No matter what you may have in contemplation, commence your concentration, to be followed without deadly by your advance on Mobile. Hopin that General Hunter will find you back at New Orleans, with the work of concentration commenced,

I remain, &c.,

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

WASHINGTON, D. C., April 17, 1864.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

Culpeper:

* * * *

Fort Smith and Indian Territory added to Department of Arkansas, and General Blunt ordered to General Curtis.

* * * *

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, Grand Ecore, La., April 17, 1864.

Lieutenant Commander THOMAS O. SELERIDGE,
On board U. S. S. Osage:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of you communication of thais date. On the 15th I had an interview with Admiral Porter, in which our position was fully discoursed, but did not know that he was to leave this post. In reference to the operations of the army, I can only say at present that we are here under instructions from the Government to move upon Shreveport in co-operation with the forces of General Steele. General Steele fails to co-operate with us, as far as we can learn, and thus far renders us no assistance. I have sent to him by the way of Little Rock, and requested him to join us upon the line of the river, where we can move forward in column against the enemy. With to co-operation of his forces our occupation of Shreveport ins certain and immediate.

It is impossible to say at his time whether we shall receive that co-operation or not. Until it is ascertained definitely that this part