[First indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTH MISSOURI, Saint Joseph, Mo., May 26, 1864.

Respectfully referred to Lieutenant-Colonel Draper, commanding at Macon, Mo., for this opinion as to the propriety of calling out the company of Enrolled Missouri Militia herein referred to.

By order of Brigadier-General Fisk:

G. A. HOLLOWARY,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Second indorsement.]

HDQRS. NINTH CAVALRY, MISSOURI STATE MILITIA, Macon, Mo., June 8, 1864.

In my opinion the company should be called out, by all means, as Callaway County is one of the worst rebel counties in the State.

Respectfully,
DAN. M. DRAPER,

Lieutenant-Colonel Ninth Cavalry, Missouri State Militia.

Memoranda for Secretary of War.*

MAY 18, 1864.

First. According to General Curtis' official report, dated May 3, his aggregate force present in the Department of Kansas was 5,197, of whom 486 were sick or in confinement, leaving 4,711 effective present for duty. More than 4,000 of these were cavalry. On the 13th instant, nine companies of the Sixteenth Kansas Cavalry (a new regiment), aggregate 791, was assigned to General Curtis, he acknowledging receipt of order. this makes the aggregate force now present in Department of Kansas 5,988, of which 5,500 are effective for duty, of whom nearly 5,000 are cavalry.

Second. On consultation with Lieutenant-General Grant, prior to the assignment of the Sixteenth Cavalry, it was deemed that General Curtis' command was sufficiently strong for the defense of his department, as no large rebel force could reach it so long as General Steele held the line of the Arkansas River.

It can hardly be expected that a sufficient military force can be placed in Kansas, Missouri, or any other border State to absolutely prevent raids from rebel bands of robbers and murderers. To attempt this, it would be necessary to abandon all active operations in the field. It is believed, however, that Kansas is as well protected against such raids as Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, or Maryland. Militia on short calls are of very little use in the field as compared with the expense, and should be resorted to only in cases of special emergency. No such emergency, it is believed, exists at the present time in the Department of Kansas.

[H. W. HALLECK.]

HEADQUARTERS, Fort Riley, Kans., May 18, 1864.

Brigadier General T. A. DAVIES,
Commanding District of North Kansas:

In compliance with instructions turned over to me by Captain O. F. Dunlap, Fifteenth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, late commanding offi-

*Found among General Halleck's papers.