BROWNSVILLE, May 26, 1864.

Captain C. H. DYER,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

Captain Miner has not returned; am expecting him to-night. He has 100 men with him. Have you any news of rebels crossing the Arkansas near Pine Bluff?

O. WOOD,

Colonel, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
May 26, 1864.

Colonel E. D. TOWNSEND,

Washington, D. C.:

I received the following dispatch:

WASHINGTON, May 11, 1864.

Major-General ROSECRANS:

The Secretary of War directs that any orders issued by Major-General Canby in his name will be obeyed by you.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General.

While I shall be happy to give General Canby all the aid in my power, I owe it to the service to say that I consider this order unwarranted by military law or regulations. The President by law may assign a senior major-general to the command of a junior. The Secretary of War, as head of his Department, representing the President, orders department commanders, but he cannot delegate his authority to whomsoever he pleases, and thereby at pleasure assume command of department assigned by the President.

Now, General Canby dispatches me, dated the 18th, at the mouth of Red River, to send him from 4,000 to 6,000 infantry from this department. General Canby is evidently under a misapprehension as to our force here, for which he or the War Department, having regular tri-monthly reports, is responsible, as one or both are for issuing illegal and impossible orders. But the Secretary of War is respectfully referred to the last tri-monthly report, which shows less than 2,400 infantry, for duty here, of which four companies are veteran reserve cripples, ten Missouri State Militia not liable to duty out of the State, and five Tenth Kansas Volunteers, whose term of service expires in a few days. Thus if the department be stripped entirely of available infantry there will be less than 1,500 men to be sent to General Canby, of which twelve companies are raw levies of African descent. They are, moreover, scattered over the State.

When General Grant was informed of the condition of things here before Banks' and Steele's reserves, while we had yet over 4,000 infantry, he telegraphed, "I see you cannot spare any infantry from your department."

Since then Banks has been defeated, Steele driven back, and we have sent two of our best regiments of infantry to garrison Columbus and Paducah. In addition to these facts, in view of the value of our depots, the secret hostile and bushwhacking organization in the department, and that our force consists mainly of militia for local protection and peace, widely scattered over this immense State, I consider the present force on duty in the department smaller than military prudence requires. Compliance with General Canby's

4 R R-VOL XXXIV, PT IV