The rebel force is said to be about 5,000 and nearly all mounted. I am making arrangements to have water transportation held in reserve at different points on the river, so as to be able to move troops to any point threatened without the delay that is now necessary.

ED. R. S. CANBY,

Major-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DETACH. SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, No. 47.
Vicksburg, Miss., June 3, 1864.

I. The transports carrying troops or stores belonging to this command at the signal of one long whistle from the Hannibal will immediately get up steam, and at the second long whistle, which will be one hour after the first, will swing out into the stream in the following order: First, Hannibal; second, Des Moines; third, Mars; fourth, Hazel Dell; fifth, Idaho; sixth, Emma Boyd; seventh, Free stone; eighth, Clara Bell; ninth, Hamilton; tenth John J. Roe; eleventh, Choteau; twelfth, Adriatic; thirteenth, Marmora; fourteenth, White Cloud; fifteenth, W. L. Ewing; sixteenth, Shenango; seventeenth, Venango; eighteenth, Diadem; nineteenth, Leviathan; twentieth, Liberty; twenty-first, Emerald.

The boats will keep well closed up and will not leave the position assigned them in this order. The signals will only be repeated by the boats carrying division or brigade commanders. In case of landing boats will still retain their places.

The signals will be as follows: One long whistle, when tied up, to get under way (when under way one long whistle means to tie up or land); three whistles, close order; four whistles, open order; five whistles, want to communicate; six whistles, let me go ahead and reconnoiter; one gun, the enemy in sight; two short whistles and then a long one, I want assistance; three short whistles and then a long one, the enemy have a battery; four whistles and then a long one, the troops will land; one gun and a long whistle, all clear, you can pass.

By order of Brigadier General A. J. Smith:

J. HOUGH,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,

Memphis, Tenn., June 3, 1864.

Major General E. R. S. CANBY,

Commanding Division of West Mississippi:

GENERAL: As I have already written you, on the 1st instant I sent out an expedition in pursuit of Forrest, under command of General Sturgis. This stripped me of nearly all my mounted force, but this morning part of the Seventh Kansas Cavalry has arrived, and I shall send out to-morrow a reconnoitering party into Arkansas, consisting of about 400 cavalry. I do this because General Steele has expressed the fear that Shelby, with 1,500 mounted men, had crossed the Arkansas and White Rivers, and was pushing for Missouri. Steele thinks they would go up Crowley's Ridge.

I shall send a boat to-night, with 300 infantry from here and one section of artillery, to proceed up the Saint Francis River; the boat