before named, all the troops then on board were ordered to Calcasieu, thus leaving me without a force to work her guns (one 32-pounder and two 24-pounder brass on board, and the object of this communication is to ask you to detail for duty upon thins boat 25 men (artillerists), 1 lieutenant, and 2 non-commissioned officers, that she may be competent for active service. As the case stands, she is utterly powerless.

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

J. B. CLEVELAND,

Commanding Bayou City.

HEADQUARTERS EXPEDITIONARY FORCES,
Ringgold Barracks, June 15, 1864.

Brigadier General J. E. SLAUGHTER,

Chief of Staff, Houston, Tex.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that the articles taken from the train of Captain Giddings belonged, as we supposed, to the captain himself, and hence the failure to report. The leather was taken to manufacture cartridge-boxes, of which we stood in great need.

The other articles were taken off more at the request of the gentleman in charge of the train than from an immediate new of some of that articles. He said his teams were so poor he could not haul them, and desired to have his load lightened. Such articles were taken as were likely to be needed. The harness has been repaired, but has not been used and can be sent wherever required. There was no intention to interfere improperly with matters, but to aid in securing property which would not have been safe had it been left on the road from New laredo to Piedras Negras.

The communication from Mr. McLean has been referred to Captain Shrive. He is reported to be a pestilent fellow, strongly tinctured with Unionism. He made representations to me concerning the mules. I investigated the affair and had the affidavits of resectable citizens and officers. The concussions arrived at were that Mr. McLean had stated a falsehood when he charged Captain Shrive with having, appropriated the two mules to his own use and that Captain Shrive's action was right, and that Mr. McLean's representations that he had no other mules was also false. He said he had no other mules broken. I have every reason to believe my conclusions correct. When Captain reports, a copy will be forwarded to district headquarters. We have near here upward of 1,300 men; some 700 will be moved in the direction of the Arroyo Colorado and the remainder left on duty at their present encampments. The consolidation has been completed here without any trouble.

The seven companies on the San Fernando had been remustered partly, some of the men furloughed, and the three months' minimum adopted by Major Fly without the shadow of authority from andy quarter. The commanders of these companies do not wish to give up their positions, and oppose consolidation. I ordered Captain Littleton, the mustering officer, to allow them time to fill up to the minimum, na din the event of failure to consolidate. I also sent a notification by an officer that should they disobey I should be compelled to march a force there and reduce them to submission. With