The following is an IG report conducted on Price's Division around the first of August, 1863... you might note who is, and who ain't mentioned... Tappan and French were out-of-pocket somewheres...

INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPT.,
Shreveport, La., October 26, 1863.

Brig. Gen. W. R. BOGGS, Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the semiannual inspection made by me of the District of Arkansas and the Indian Territory. I find it impossible to make it in so detailed a form as I would wish, and can only hope to point out a few general evils which I find to exist, remedies for which it will be hard to find save in an entire reorganization of the troops and a more rigid enforcement everywhere of regulations and orders.

Major-General Price's division, as a body, are not such soldiers as they should be, when the advantages they have had are considered. Taken in comparison with the other troops of the district, they are the best I have inspected, but are not what they might be. Their drill is good; Parsons' and Fagan's brigades very good. In point of discipline I do not consider that they have nearly reached that state which is so necessary to render them efficient under all and any circumstances. One of the strongest evidences of this is the great number of desertions which have occurred and are daily taking place, particularly in the case of Fagan's and McRae's brigades. (See field returns and muster-rolls of these commands.) This state of affairs could not exist if field and company officers did their duty in using their energies and being vigilant. With few exceptions, there is too little pride and effort at soldierly bearing among the officers, and too much familiarity between them and their men. It is true they had but recently returned from a fatiguing and harassing march, but before the expedition to Helena they had been stationary for some time, and in their permanent camp had every opportunity of perfecting themselves in all the duties of soldiers. The general officers of the command are zealous and competent, but are in a measure paralyzed in their endeavors by a lack of hearty co-operation from their subordinate officers. The field officers, and the company officers to even a greater extent, allow themselves to become too easily discouraged and disheartened at reverses. The exhibition of this feeling to the men--the result of intimacy between officers and men--makes the men dissatisfied; they lose interest, disaffection follows, and they desert. A lethargy seems to have fallen on the troops of the command which has been and will be productive of much evil. This can only be removed by keeping them constantly employed with drills, the enforcement of rigid discipline, and a requirement of minute attention to all military exercises and duties. Petty crimes pass unnoticed, while greater ones go unpunished, or the punishment inflicted is so slight as to do no good as an example, and possibly only makes the individual resentful. I think that they are past appreciating leniency, and moral suasion is lost upon them. As far as I know, no officer has as yet been held accountable for the desertions of his men--whether company officer, officer of the day, or guard--and yet most of the desertions occur at night, when, by the order in force, no man is allowed to pass the lines without the countersign. Some excuse may be made for the men, but none for the officers.

I know that the department is not very fruitful of supplies, but I think that with proper energy the condition of these troops could be much ameliorated. They are poorly clad, very poorly, and are almost destitute of shoes. In comparison to these men, a portion of the troops of the Indian Territory (Bankhead's brigade) are finely provided for with clothing and shoes. There is an inequality in the distribution of clothing, which may be unavoidable, but why it is so I cannot tell. Their arms are of a good character, and generally well kept. Fagan's brigade do not pay as much attention to their arms and accouterments as other portions of the command. The staff departments of the division are, as far as can be ascertained by a general inspection, in tolerably good order. The adjutants-general are the most efficient. The quartermasters and commissaries of subsistence do not, I think, fully appreciate the responsibility resting on them. This is shown in a few instances by their papers. Major [Thomas] Monroe, quartermaster of Parsons' brigade, is $811.49 short. Maj. C. B. Moore, quartermaster of McRae's brigade, has an excess of $134.98. Major [John B.] Ruthven, commissary of Parsons' brigade, has an excess of $175.75. My inspection was made on the 15th of August, and up to that time Major Monroe had not made up his returns for the quarter ending June 30, 1863.

Brig. Gen. D. M. Frost commanded the "defenses of the Lower Arkansas." I found his brigade of infantry and two batteries of light artillery at Pine Bluff in only tolerable condition. Their drill was not equal to that of either Parsons', Fagan's, or McRae's brigade. Their arms were not well kept, and the police of their camp was fair.
I found a very large number of the command sick, and the surgeons complained of being much in need of medicines. The post was well regulated. The hospital, in charge of Surg. R. Brunson, was perfectly clean; the sick seemed to receive every attention; returns were regularly forwarded, and duplicates kept. Capt. W. W. Johnson, post quartermaster, I found to be an energetic and very efficient officer. His returns were all up to date; books, papers, &c., in excellent order. Every care was taken of the post transportation, and it was in fine condition. The cavalry was at South Bend. I found them well mounted, poorly armed and clothed; their drill and discipline quite poor. Many men were absent without leave, and many more on incompetent authority. With an aggregate present and absent of 668, only 238 were present for duty. This command is almost entirely destitute of accouterments. Captain Pratt's battery, serving with Carter's cavalry, is in very fine order, and a model command. Their discipline is very good. The men are well drilled, and care is taken of the horses and everything about the battery. General Frost's command-- cavalry, artillery, and infantry--are very poorly clad, and are destitute of shoes. The regimental quartermasters and commissaries of the infantry brigade are not sufficiently well acquainted with their duties, and do not show a great degree of attention to business. The quartermasters and commissaries of the cavalry were absent. I found that the conscript law was not enforced with enough energy and rigidity, and that the officers in charge of that duty were, many of them, incompetent. Of this subject I made a special report at the time of my inspection. …

W. C. SCHAUMBURG,
Major and Assistant Inspector-General, Trans-Mississippi Dept.