accordingly done. On the east on the main road which I had been moving on during the day, I placed a picket-post of four men. Know ing the pickets to be posted, I gave orders for the men to feed their animals and get supper for themselves. After partaking of supper I lay down to rest. The men, however, were not done supper, it being then 8.30; about an hour after going into camp. Having lain there for a few moments, I was startled by the explosion of a gun-cap. I immediately jumped up to find out the cause, and ordered the men under arms and to be ready should occasion require it, but before the order could be obeyed it was discovered that a party of the enemy had come upon us, wading and cutting off the picket-post of four men posted on the blind wagon road leading through the plantation, the enemy coming in from two directions, viz, northwest and northeast. They were on foot. As to their number it is impossible for me to tell-the next day, however, in going through a swamp, I saw about 100 of them, all mounted. They patrolled the road from the plantation to Bayou Corn from the time we were attacked until 10 o'clock next day, as I tried several times to get across Bayou Corn during that time, but failed, and did not get across until a party of the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry appeared, when the enemy left. I would state here that the attack was so sudden and unexpected-having been told by every one that no enemy was in the neighborhood, especially by the authorities at Napoleonville-that some of the men did not have time to move out of their place before they found themselves prisoners. Being outnumbered and surprised, we saw the only chance of escaping was to leave everything and get away as fast as possible the best way we could. The following is the list of men, horses, &c., lost and captured: One lieutenant, 15 enlisted men, 28 guns and accouterments, 29 horses and equipments. Hoping the foregoing report may prove satisfactory, I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, AARON MCFEELY, Captain, Commanding Company G, Sixteenth Indiana. Capt. FREDERIC SPEED, Assistant Adjutant-General. AUGUST 31, 1864.-Affair at Steelville, Mo. Reports of Brig. Gen. John McNeil, U. S. Army, commanding District of Rolla. ROLLA, Mo., August 31, 1864. E. G. Evans, deputy provost-marshal at Cuba, reports the robbing of Steelville this morning at daylight by Lennox's gang. A Baptist preacher named Butler was mortally wounded and the town plundered. JOHN MCNEIL, Brigadier-General. Capt. F. ENO, Assistant Adjutant-General. ROLLA, MO., September 2, 1864. On the morning of day before yesterday as the gang of bushwhackers left Steelville they met five militia coming in to join their companies and killed every one of them. JOHN MCNEIL, Brigadier-General, Commanding. Capt. FRANK ENO, Assistant Adjutant-General. SEPTEMBER 1, 1864.-Attack on Tipton, Mo. Report of Lieut. Col. David W. Wear, Forty-fifth Missouri Infantry. Forty-two rebels entered Tipton at men; went in direction of Boonville. source place the number at 150 men. ville in the morning. SEDALIA, September 1, 1864. General PLEASONTON, Warrensburg. SEPTEMBER 1, 1864.—Skirmish near Beatty's Mill, Ark. Report of Col. Abraham H. Ryan, Third Arkansas Cavalry (Union). LEWISBURG, ARK., September 2, 1864. (Received 7.30 p. m.) Captain Hamilton and sixty-five men returned from scout to Yell County. On the 1st instant, near Beatty's Mill, he met 160 bushwhackers under Conly. Charging immediately, he put them to flight, killing 2, wounding several, releasing the assistant surgeon and 1 private of the Second Arkansas Infantry, whom the enemy had prisoners. He also captured a lot of Spanish brown, which the bushwhackers were using to disguise themselves as Indians. No boats yet. River falling. Capt. C. H. DYER, A. H. RYAN, Colonel, Commanding. Assistant Adjutant-General. SEPTEMBER 1-9, 1864.-Operations in Johnson County, Mo., and skirmish (1st) near Lone Jack. REPORTS. No. 1.—Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, U. S. Army, commanding District of Central Missouri. No. 2.-Capt. Melville U. Foster, Seventh Missouri State Militia Cavalry. No. 1. Report of Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, U. S. Army, commanding District of Central Missouri. HDQRS. DISTRICT OF CENTRAL MISSOURI, GENERAL: Following just received: HOLDEN, September 1, 1864. Lieutenant Marr has returned with scout which went out last night. Found a gang of forty-five guerrillas five miles south of Lone Jack. Killed 1 and wounded several others badly. Routed them completely. Lost 1 man killed. W. P. BAKER, Captain, Commanding. Colonel Ford reports return of scout from vicinity of Chapel Hill and Cook's Springs. No large force of the enemy concentrating, but small recruiting bands are seen nearly every day. Major-General ROSECRANS. No. 2. A. PLEASONTON, Major-General. Report of Capt. Melville U. Foster, Seventh Missouri State Militia Cavalry. HOLDEN, MO., September 11, 1864. LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report scouts, marches, &c., of my command: September 1, sent Lieutenant Marr with thirty men of both companies in the direction of Lone Jack; came upon squad of about fifteen rebels twelve miles northeast of this place, at the house of Mrs. Simmons. Had a lively time for a few moments, killing 1 and wounding 4, as it is said by the people of the neighborhood. Lost 1 man killed, Jacob F. Rauk, Company C, Seventh Regiment Cavalry Missouri State Militia, and 2 men of Company G, severely wounded by horses falling in charge. Lost 2 horses and 1 horse equipment. Returned next day. Traveled fifty miles. September 3, took thirty men of both companies and proceeded, in obedience to Special Orders, No. 159, headquarters District Central Missouri, to collect $800 from the rebel sympathizers of Stone's neighborhood as damages sustained by reason of bushwhackers burning stage, of which proceedings I have made a full report to Capt. R. L. Ferguson, deputy provost-marshal. Returned on the 6th. Traveled sixty miles. September 7, took thirty men of both companies; went to Walnut Creek to protect Union families while moving out. Traveled thirty miles. September 9, sent Sergeant Leiter and twenty men of both companies to escort Lieut. A. W. Christian, assistant inspector, to Pleasant Hill. Returned next day. Traveled thirty-four miles. Besides this there has been a daily patrol to Pleasant Hill. I would also report that I have turned over to the proper officers six horses taken from bushwhackers, and that I have delivered one horse so taken to Barton S. Bradley, Company C, who lost a horse in action. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieut. J. N. PENNOCK, MEL. U. FOSTER, Adjutant Seventh Regt. Cav., M. S. M., Warrensburg, Mo. SEPTEMBER 2, 1864.-Skirmish at the Tannery, near Little Rock, Ark. Report of Capt. Thomas J. Mitchell, Third Missouri Cavalry. HDQRS. THIRD CAVALRY MISSOURI VOLUNTEERS, Camp near Little Rock, Ark., September 2, 1864. LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report that early this afternoon a squad of rebels, numbering probably seventy-five men, attacked our force at the tannery, but were repulsed with some loss. Several horses were killed and a prisoner captured. The prisoner reports that he belongs to a Colonel Logan's regiment, composed of about 150 or 200 men, who started from Benton this morning. He also states that two brigades of cavalry, under Cabell and Steen, were encamped on the south side of the Saline, whilst Colonel Logan's force was on this side. He also states that he heard that an infantry force was on the march from Camden toward Princeton. I also report that my whole mounted force are on duty after these rebels, and that it is impossible to fill the detail for twenty-five mounted men called for this afternoon. The prisoner also reports several men wounded of his command, and that they got out of the valley faster than they got in. None of our men were injured, but several horses captured. T. J. MITCHELL, Captain, Commanding Regiment. SEPTEMBER 2, 1864.—Skirmish near Mount Vernon, Mo. Report of Col. John D. Allen, Seventh Provisional Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia. HDQRS. SEVENTH PROVISIONAL REGIMENT, E. M. M., Mount Vernon, Mo., September 4, 1864. COLONEL: I have this morning received information that there was about 400 rebels that made the attempt to take Mount Vernon on last Friday. Captain Stotts, who was at Cave Spring with twenty-five men of his own command and a portion of Captain Stemmens' company, discovered the rebels in force; dispatched a messenger to me immediately. I sent Captain Morris with sixty meu to re-enforce Captain Stotts. The rebels went round Stotts' camp and made direct for Mount Vernon. Captain Morris met them in force five miles west of Mount Vernon, when an engagement ensued, the rebels having some five or six to one; Captain Morris had to fall back; dispatched to me immediately. I collected all the militia that was available and went to his relief; met him coming in. We then went back to the place he left the rebels, but on arriving there I was informed by citizens that the rebels had gone southwest. I started in that direction and soon discovered about fifty men on the prairie in line. I formed line and ordered a charge, which was obeyed promptly, but after running about three miles I got close enough to discover that I was chasing Captain Stotts. By this time it was getting dark. It rained and was very dark. Early next morning I started 200 men under Captain Morris, all the available cavalry force that I could raise. They went in five miles of Carthage on the south side of Spring River, then turned north, crossed the river, came up White Oak Creek without making any discovery, but the captain got reliable information that there was 400 rebels and he thought it prudent to return to Mount Vernon, for I had but few men left. The captain learned that they were about Carthage. I have also received information from Arkansas that the rebel Colonel Brooks was in War Eagle, in Arkansas, with from 500 to 700 men and intended to join Major Piercey below this and take this place. I will give you my situation here. I have something over 300 men very poorly armed, good men and will fight. Now if I can get a force from Springfield 47 R R-VOL XLI, PT I |