HEADQUARTERS SECOND SUB-DISTRICT,
Camp Barnard Bee, June 20, 1864.

Captain WILLIAM G. TOBIN, A. A. A. G., Columbus:

SIR: Captain Rugeley, commanding at Matagorda, reports (dated this day) as follows:

Captain Brown, of the steam gun-boat Carr, return from Saluria last evening and report the total evacuation of that evacuation of that place by the Federals, after destroying all the works and fortifications and blowing up the magazines; one gun-boat is left on the outside to guard the pass.

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

J. BATES,

Colonel, Commanding Sub-District.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF INDIAN TERRITORY,
En route for Limestone Prairie, June 20, 1864.

Brigadier General W. R. BOGGS,

Chief of Staff, Trans-Mississippi Dept., Shreveport, La.:

GENERAL: I have the honor herewith to inclose instructions from chief quartermaster's office at Fort [Smith] to Lieutenant Huston, Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, in regard to the freight of the Williams, dated 14th instant; also from same to Colonel W. A. Phillips, U. S. Army commanding at Fort Gibson, in relation to mules; also from chief depot commissary of subsistence at Fort Smith, to Captain G. L. [Gaylord], at Fort Gibson, in regard tit supplies; also dispatch* from Colonel Waitie in regard to the capture of the Williams. The above papers, with some few prisoners, including Lieutenant Huston, were also capture by Colonel Watie. I am glad the colonel has so early given evidence of the correctness of my recommendation of him for proportion.

The dispatch to which the colonel refers, sent by Worford, missed me on the road yesterday, but I have directed Captain Scott tom forward you. I am at a loss reconcile the surrent report of those I have men, viz, that the boat was going up, with the order of the commissary at Smith on the commissary at Gibson for all surplus supplies over twenty days. This would be clear if the boat was going down, but it must have been going up, from instructions of the quartermaster. In an indorsement of General Cooper, dated 19th instant, on another dispatch (of no material consequence), he says:

"From the best information I am able to obtain are at Fort Smith and Van Buren and Frog Bayou about 4,000 to 5,000 Federals." I am making every exertion to keep supplies advanced. By keeping my lines to the front, amongst other advantages fully pointed out heretofore, we save the forage of the whole army here for several months, a very important item. I will keep your advised of what is going on up here.

Very respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

S. B. MAXEY,

Major-General, Commanding.

I am advised, through not officially, that Watie burnt the Williams. I hope this is true, as Gibson and Smith both being in the possession of the enemy, we could not same it, and this prevents the chance of recapture.

M.

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* See Part I, p. 1012.

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