prices of artillery, as reported, posted on the south side of river, and a force reported to be about 400 men. The boat moved up toward the north bank of the river and grounded. Lieutenant Cook and his men immediately left the boat and fled. Lieutenant Cook arrived here the next afternoon about 4 o'clock, but could give me no satisfactory information as to whether the boat was disabled or not. He reports that the captain of the boat and Lieutenant Huston, regimental quartermaster Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, who was on his way to Gibson, took the yawl and went over to the enemy. They have not been heard from since. This fact, if it be true, explains the manner in which the enemy were enabled to reach the boat. It turns out, however, that the enemy upon reaching her run her across the river and discharged her freight on a sand-bar.

The next day, about 10 o'clock, Colonel Ritchie, of the Second Indian Regiment (home guard), reached the north bank of the river opposite the boat, and with 40 men, by musketry firing across the river, drove the enemy both from the boat and from the freight, and kept them from it until the rise in the river washed away the greater part of the goods. The enemy, however, about the time Colonel Ritchie arrived, fired the boat and destroyed her. The escort on the boat were, in my judgment, fully able to have prevented the enemy from reaching the boat. If Lieutenant Cook had posted his men in proper positions on the bank he could have prevented the enemy from reaching her until he would have had time to send to me for assistance. I regard the conduct of Lieutenant Cook as a most unjustifiable and criminal abandonment of his post of duty, as it was in his power to have saved the boat. I therefore respectfully recommend that he be dismissed the service. Immediately upon receiving intelligence of the disaster I sent an adequate force, under Colonel Crawford, Second Kansas (colored), up the south bank of the river to rout and capture the enemy if possible, but they had fled.

Very respectfully, yours,

JOHN M. THAYER,

Brigadier-General.

WASHINGTON, D. C., June 22, 1864.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

Bermuda Hundred:

GENERAL: I inclose a copy of General Sherman's report of operations, just received.*

* * * * * * *

Generals Rosecrans and Curtis are continually calling for more troops in their departments, the President and members of Congress being flooded with stampeding telegraphs. They want 20,000 men to oppose 2,000 guerrillas. Brigadier General M. M. Crocker has tendered his resignation on account of ill health, but his friends are urging that it be not accepted, and that he be sent to New Mexico or Arizona. The Secretary is willing to do this if, in your opinion, General C. should be retained in the service and is competent for a frontier command like the one suggested. He desires your opinion on this matter as early as convenient. Reports to staff departments

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*Refers to Sherman's report of June 8, to appear in Vol. XXXVIII. The portion of Halleck's letter here omitted will appear in Vol. XXXVI.

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