HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE NORTHWEST,
Milwaukee, Wis., June 2, 1864.

Brigadier General H. H. SIBLEY,

Commanding Dist. of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minn.:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs that the 400 mounted men you are authorized to withhold from the expedition to join General Sully be immediately replaced by the four companies of the Thirtieth Wisconsin sent you from this point and Davenport, and you will accordingly send to General Sully the whole force originally ordered from your district. You had best use the four companies of the Thirtieth Wisconsin, or such parts of them as may be needed for that purpose, to establish the post on James River, where they will remain until relieved by the companies of the Eighth designated for its permanent garrison. As soon as you hear that the companies of the Eighth have reached the post on James River, you will direct the four companies of the Thirtieth Wisconsin to march from that post to the Missouri River, to report to Brigadier-General Sully for duty. You will be notified in time to what point on the Missouri to direct their march.

I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. F. MELINE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. DIST. OF MINN., DEPT. OF THE NORTHWEST,
Saint Paul, Minn., June 2, 1864.

Major General JOHN POPE,

Milwaukee:

GENERAL: I have the honor to state that I received dispatches from Brigadier-General Sully last night, dated 30th ultimo, from Sioux City, which were transmitted by special messengers along the line of outposts in the unprecedented time of sixty-one hours and fifty minutes, the distance accomplished being full 340 miles. The principal object was to advise me of the march of his troops on the 30th and of a heavy concentration of Indian warriors near the mouth of Grand River, which would render it advisable that my detachment, instead of marching to the first designated point of junction at Bordache Creek, should move by Sully's old route of 1856, cross the James River at the mouth of Moccasin River, and strike for Swan Lake, unless other instructions should mean time reach Colonel Thomas by means of the scouts to be dispatched by General Sully to meet a scouting party from this side on Nicolett's trail to Fort Pierre.

I dispatched a special messenger to Colonel Thomas with a copy of the dispatch this morning, and directing him also how to instruct the scouts to communicate with Sully's scouts by means of stones placed on commanding points along their route, in case they should not succeed in meeting with them.

I have been delayed in my departure for Fort Ridgely by the non-arrival of General Dana, who only reached here yesterday afternoon. I have explained everything to him, and I think he is satisfied that it will not answer further to diminish the force on this frontier. I am about taking him to visit Fort Snelling.