surrendering that position does not rest, in my judgment, on any of the officers or men of my command.

I have the honor, general, to be your most obedient servant,

S. A. HURLBUT,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Army.

Brigadier General JOHN POPE, Commanding Northern Missouri.

Numbers 2. Report of Colonel Nelson G. Williams, Third Iowa Infantry.

MACON, September 5, 1861.

SIR: In obedience to your order, I respectfully submit the following statement of facts connected with the paris expedition and the reasons why I retired from Shelbina:

Late Friday evening (August 30) I received a telegraphic dispatch from General Pope to take my effective command, together with Loring's cavalry, proceed to Palmyra, open the road, and hen go to Paris and take the specie and funds in the bank, and send it to Saint Louis. Early Saturday morning I started from Brookfield to execute the order. I arrived at Palmyra about noon, was there informed by the railroad employes that we would have to go to Hannibal in order to turn the engine west, they telling me it would be impossible to back the train. As a further reason for going to Hannibal, there was $150,000 in specie on board, and from instructions I received it would be in some danger of being seized by the rebels. I arrived at Hannibal, and while feeding my men the Second Kansas Reigment arrived per boat, en route for Kansas, to recruit. I immediately invited them to join me in the Paris expedition, as I had learned on my down trip that it would be unsafe with my force (320 men) to go into Monroe County. They consented, and we started Sunday morning. Arrived at Shelbina about noon. I pressed into service some wagons to carry provisions and sick men, and started for paris about 8 o'clock int he evening. My entire force consisted of about 620 men, viz, 520 infantry and 100 cavalry. I arrived in Paris at daylight Monday morning, September 2. I immediately proceeded to the bank, in company with M. Cassel, esq. (agent to receive money). We called the directors together. They informed us that the cashier had taken the money to safe place, and that they did not know where he or the money was. We waited during the day, thinking that they would get the money. In the afternoon I learned that the whole country was rising in arms against us. About 5 o'clock I gave the order to prepare for our return march, but a tremendous storm comming up I countermanded the order, and resolved to stay in Paris overnight. I quartered my men in the court-house and vacant buildings. About midnight we received an alarm and turned out under arms, and remained so during the night. Started on our return at daybreak. In the mean time I had learned that Green and his forces had got past General Hurlbut, and that he had prepared an ambush for me on the straight road to Shelbina. I determined ot take the road to Clinton, making a detour of 10 miles. Every step of the way I found evidence that the whole people were in arms. I arrived, however, in Shelbina at night, having escaped the ambush, but had one man wounded (supposed mortally) by the enemy's pickets. When I arrived in Shelbina I found