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KANSAS CITY, July 17, 1864.

Todd with 150 thieves threatens Independence. Three hundred or 400 of Thornton's whelps down in Ray County, opposite Lexington, trying to cross. I have sent the Fanny Ogden with one section of battery and 100 men to stop their crossing. Todd is playing the devil in my sub-district. I have not troops enough to protect all sides. These few rebels in and about Weston are there only to draw back our forces. I I must have a part of my men back, or I will lose Independence. J. H. FORD,

Major-General CURTIS.

Colonel.

KANSAS CITY, July 18, 1864.

GENERAL: Attacked enemy at Camden Point. They ran. We killed 15 of them there. Our loss, 1 killed, 1 mortally wounded. Chased them clear down in Ray County. Killed at least 25 on the road down; all of them in arms; killed no citizens, although many of them need killing. Have called a large mass-meeting, to be held at Liberty on Wednesday next, and have names of all disloyal men and sympathizers, and have told the people that I will hold the men responsible for actions of their particular friend Thornton. I will give them a chance to redeem themselves and then try and save their county from destruction. Todd and his thieves are raising the devil in my sub-district. I cannot go down into Ray without leaving my counties completely unprotected. One hundred and fifty whelps now threaten Independence. We only have thirty men there. I am doing all I can. A large party opposite Lexington is trying to cross the river. Have sent a steam-boat with one section of artillery and 100 men, under Major Suess, down to prevent their crossing. I received General Rosecrans' order to remain over there, but I cannot leave my own men unprotected. General Curtis has withdrawn the Kansas troops. The balance of my force is at Liberty. Colonel Draper is there. If I have to bring my troops over would recommend that Colonel Draper be left there for the present. J. H. FORD, Colonel, &c.

General FISK.

KANSAS CITY, July 21, 1864.

On Sunday, the 17th instant, Captain Moses, with forty-seven men, scouting seventeen miles northeast of Liberty, near Fredericksburg, Ray County, came onto a large force of the enemy, over 300 strong, under Colonel Thornton. After a severe fight they had to retreat to the brush, where Captain Moses again rallied his men. They fired their last shot from their revolvers, when Captain Moses gave the order to separate and do the best they could. Our loss, 6 killed, 4 wounded, 2 missing. Enemy's loss, 16 killed and 21 wounded. The information as to the enemy's wounded we get from the inhabitants. I think it is correct. Captain Moses behaved with coolness and bravery, discharging before he left the field eighteen shots, all he had. He escaped uninjured, but received five bullet holes through his hat and clothes, one of which grazed his forehead; his horse received four wounds but carried him safely off the field. He reports that his men fought desperately, also that our carbines again failed us and we had to rely on the pistols. Major Pritchard was immediately sent in pursuit with 250 men.

He

followed them to Knoxville, where they had commenced breaking up in small bands. His men and his horses giving out he gave up the pursuit and returned. Small bands of these thieves infest every portion of these counties. Thornton can raise a large force, I think, without doubt, 1,000 men, throughout the whole district.

Major-General ROSECRANS.

J. H. FORD, Colonel, Commanding.

KANSAS CITY, July 25, 1864.

Express just arrived from Liberty. Major Smith has returned to that place. He ran on enemy's rear guard, killed 3 of them; they scattered in every direction. I start in the morning with my pack-mule outfit; hope to give you a better report hereafter.

J. H. FORD, Colonel Second Colorado Cavalry, Commanding.

Maj. O. D. GREENE,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

KANSAS CITY, July 25, 1864.

Hearing that the guerrillas were concentrating near Plattsburg I left Liberty July 22, 6.30 a. m., with 300 Second Colorado Cavalry, Major Smith commanding, and 190 Ninth Missouri State Militia [Cavalry], Lieutenant-Colonel Draper commanding, for that place. Learned on road that they had fight with militia of that place, killing 1 captain and 1 soldier; also learned that they had started west toward Buchanan County. I left the Plattsburg road, struck west toward Gosneyville, keeping flanking and scouting parties out in every direc tion; passed through Gosneyville, camped at Ross' Mill, fed, rested men and horses. Started at dark, moved out on the prairie, encamped until 2.30. Started again on track, moved northwest to Camden Point; met Major Cox, in command of 500 militia and citizens, poorly armed. They had a skirmish with the band the day before; lost 1 killed, 5 wounded; enemy's loss not known. Enemy here seemed to have scattered in every direction; finally I found trail of the largest party, about 140, who were moving back east; another party moving west in small bands toward Buchanan County. I sent Lieutenant-Colonel Draper to Saint Joseph as per General Fisk's telegraphic orders. Major Cox and his militia started on the trail; we had just come to Plattsburg. I took the Smithville road after the largest party with 300 Second Colorado Cavalry; followed enemy back to within eight miles of Liberty, when they again doubled on me and moved toward Buchanan County. I followed about five miles. Our wagons and ambulances were very much in our way; concluded to bring them in; left Major Smith with 211 men on their trail. We labored under a great disadvantage; the citizens gave the enemy information of any movement I made, stand picket for them, and I can get no information whatever only as I send out small parties to play bushwhacker, and they are very careful. Then another disadvantage in this last trip: I took ration train with me. If I allow the men to live on the country they are continually straggling all over the country; if I carry rations on their horses it wears the horses out this hot weather. If I go back on another scout in that country I shall fix up pack animals, live in the brush with them for a

few weeks. Had we known that part of the country as well as we now do we could, I think, have closed them out. I have reliable information that about eighty crossed the river Saturday night into this sub-district, and I think they intend to cross their whole command in small parties as fast as they can. Thornton is getting no more recruits and some few deserting. I do not believe he has over 800 men, scattered all through the country. Three battalions, each 300 to 400 strong, with pack-mules would easily make a clean sweep of those counties by living in the brush with them about two weeks, keeping out of all towns, and fight them in their own way. My regiment is badly needed here at present. Can I come back when through with this scout?

Maj. O. D. GREENE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

J. H. FORD, Colonel Second Colorado Cavalry.

No. 4.

Report of Maj. Douglas Dale, Fourth Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

ON BOARD STEAMER POST Boy,
Lexington, Mo., July 17, 1864.

GENERAL: I arrived at this place at 6 p. m. this day. Cleared the river of flat-boats and skiffs to this place, as far as I could find, and in compliance with orders. I have no doubt but that there are skiffs hauled out in the brush at points along the river, which would almost be impossible to be found. I heard of no guerrillas on the river except three at Rocheport and two at Boonville the day before we arrived at those places. I heard of no bands within striking distance from the river, hence I have not sent the cavalry out. There seems to be quite a number of them on the north side of the river in Boone, Howard, and Carroll Counties, but have committed no depredations on the river towns within a few days past, except the instance of killing a man at Boonville. A band crossed at a point below this (of which place I cannot definitely learn) variously estimated at from twenty to thirty, and are said to have killed from eight to twelve Union men in Carroll County, several of the killed being discharged soldiers. It is supposed to be the same band that robbed Huntsville. They are also reported as having recruited to the number of seventy-five or eighty, and are trying to get south of the river. They are said to be in the Grand River country. I could hear of guerrillas in Saline County, variously estimated at from fifteen to forty in numbers, said to be in Saline Bottom or Bend, but could hear nothing definite as to their numbers or whereabouts. I will leave here to-morrow morning at 2 o'clock. Will disembark the cavalry at this place, and make a dash on Wellington at daylight, and, if no enemy in striking distance, will there take the cavalry aboard and move on up the river. By advising with Colonel McFerran he thought the trip above here would be attended with better results by making it in daylight. Both officers and men are conducting themselves with propriety.

General, I am, with much respect, your obedient servant,
D. DALE,

Major Fourth Cavalry Missouri State Militia.

Brig. Gen. E. B. BROWN,

Commanding District of Central Missouri.

No. 5.

Report of Maj. Henry Suess, Seventh Missouri State Militia Cavalry, Chief of Cavalry.

GLASGOW, Mo., July 21, 1864.

I have just arrived. Lieutenant Woodruff, First Missouri State Militia [Cavalry], was attacked by about 200 guerrillas at Arrow Rock last night. He fought them three-quarters of an hour, losing 3 men missing, and all his horses. He and his men are here. I shall take him to Frankfort. I have placed the garrison of Miami and Cambridge at Frankfort. I brought 120 men, under Captain Wyckoff, from Lexington, who marched from Miami, at 7 o'clock this morning, in pursuit of the rebels, 150 strong, under Todd, who passed at 5 p. m. yesterday five miles south of Miami on the gallop east. Captain Queen marched with fifty men from a point opposite Chicken Point and six miles below Waverly at 5 o'clock this morning for Marshall. Ferguson, with eighty men, I met at Waverly at 7 p. m. yesterday, and ordered him to Marshall. I leave for Miami soon. Will return early to-morrow morning. Thornton's band, 300 strong, were at Mandeville yesterday at 12 m., marching east. Citizens of Carroll County are armed and ready to defend themselves.

Brig. Gen. E. B. BROWN,

Warrensburg.

HENRY SUESS, Major and Chief of Cavalry.

Copy sent Maj. O. D. Greene, assistant adjutant-general, with the following additional:

I have ordered Colonel Hall to look out for a raid on the railroad towns east of Sedalia. Major Suess is in command of the Fanny Ogden.

E. B. BROWN, Brigadier-General of Volunteers.

No. 6.

Report of Brig. Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, U. S. Army, commanding District of North Missouri.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTH MISSOURI,

Saint Joseph, Mo., August 1, 1864. COLONEL: In accordance with instructions received from headquarters Department of the Missouri, I have the honor herewith to hand you a preliminary report of the origin and causes of the troubles in the counties of Platte and Clay, in the State of Missouri. When the difficulties shall have been to some extent settled I shall organize a court that will place in the form of evidence what I here state for the information of the major-general commanding the Department of the Missouri.

That it may be fully understood what constitutes Paw Paw Militia, the cause of most of this difficulty, I state that the so-called Paw Paws were disloyal citizens and returned soldiers and officers from the rebel army who had been enrolled as disloyal under General

Orders, No. 24, series of 1862, from headquarters State of Missouri. These men were organized into companies and regiments, under the direction of the Governor of the State of Missouri, in the summer of 1863, for some purpose to me unknown. Of the policy that dictated this organization, or of the effect upon the loyal element thus to be guarded, protected, and watched by armed rebels, many of them fresh from the Confederate army, I say nothing. Representations were often and freely made to the proper authorities that these troops were doing a vast amount of harm to the loyal sentiment of the State of Missouri, and it was shown in many instances that these troops would in no case fight the guerrillas and thieves who infested the neighborhoods where they were stationed in the north western portion of the State. The officers and men of the Eighty-second Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia allowed the Confederate Colonel Winston to remain safely harbored and protected in the county of Clay during the winter of 1863-64, and used no exertion to arrest him, although his presence in their very midst was a well-established fact. They would not and did not arrest him. After the capture of Colonel Winston by Captain Kemper's company, of the Ninth Cavalry Missouri State Militia, it was a matter of continued report by these Paw Paw officers and soldiers that he had left a companion in Clay County commonly known as Coon Thornton, but whose name is John C. Calhoun Thornton, and who is reported to be a colonel in the rebel army. This man, it is well known, was recruiting for the Confederate service, and had several agents at work for him to this end in the counties of Platte, Clay, and Ray. It has even been the subject of conversation with these Paw Paw officers and myself that companies of the Eighty-first and Eighty-second Enrolled Missouri Militia were in league with Thornton, and that numbers of the men of certain companies had joined his organization. It was claimed that every effort possible had been made to arrest him, but without avail. The whole population of the district in which he was operating aided and informed him, and his work went on briskly and smoothly. Upon my accession to the command of the district I learned that all of the Eighty-first Enrolled Missouri Militia had been relieved from duty, but had been permitted to take their arms home to their houses, and it was often reported to me by loyal men that these armed rebels were one by one slipping out of sight into the brush with their arms, and upon diligent inquiry I ascertained these reports to be in the main true. I immediately ordered the disarming of these men, their arms to be delivered to the armory at Saint Joseph, Mo., and upon receipt of the order twelve men of Captain Cox's company, of the Eighty-first Enrolled Missouri Militia, took their arms and disappeared. The company commanded by Captain Bywater, at Camden Point, came in and delivered up their arms at Camden Point preparatory to sending them to Saint Joseph. They were stored in an old warehouse, and two men of the same company left on guard over them. The same night a small body of unarmed guerrillas rode into the town, surprised the guard, and carried off the guns and accouterments. Captain Bywater's company has not been heard of since then. They belonged to the Eightyfirst [Eighty-second] Enrolled Missouri Militia. On the occasion of a skirmish between loyal militia and bushwhackers, some of these Paw Paws were seen by their old acquaintances among the bushwhackers. Owing to the extreme difficulty of obtaining troops for service in this district, some of the best of these Paw Paw companies were retained on duty. Rumors of intended risings of the rebels were continually reaching my headquarters, and at length, on the morning of the 7th of

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