It is proper for me to state that I had but one captain with me at the time, and he had been quite sick some days, and was unfit for duty at the time, but he turned out and rendered me valuable assistance. I was extremely short for officers. I had sent three home sick. I then moved the trains to Hudson and reported to you in person.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

N. G. WILLIAMS,

Colonel Third Iowa.

Brigadier General S. A. HURLBUT, U. S. A.

Numbers 3. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Bair and Major William F. Clud, Second Kansas Infantry.

HUDSON, MO., September 5, 1861.

SIR: It is perhaps proper for me to state formally to you a fact or two relative to the evacuation of Shelbina on yesterday.

The enemy numbered, as nearly as we could ascertain, about 3,000 and we had about 600 effective men. We drove them several times, and held our position until the enemy brought to bear upon us two pieces of artillery, one 6 and one 9 pounder. We having no artillery, and not being able to reach them otherwise, but being compelled to sit still behind barricades and receive discharges of artillery which would inevitably have destroyed the command, I, after consultation with Major Cloud and the officers of the Second Kansas, insisted upon the men being withdrawn until we could be re-enforced by artillery, which we understood was at Brookfield. Colonel William was averse to the yielded a reluctant and unwilling assent, and as we had volunteered to serve in the Paris expedition, he was in courtesy compelled to pay some attention to our wishes in the matter, and consequently he at last yielded.

Very respectfully,

CHAS. W. BLAIR,

Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Second Regiment Kansas Vols.

W. F. CLOUD,

Major.

Brigadier General S. A. HURLBUT.

SEPTEMBER 1-3. 1861.-Expeditions through Jefferson County, Mo.

Report of Colonel Chester Harding, Tenth Missouri Infantry.

PACIFIC [MO.], September 3, 1861.

SIR: Major Holmes, with a detachment of 320 men, returned from Jefferson County on the 1st instant. He did not succeed in finding the enemy in force, but found a camp which had recently been deserted, and saw squads of mounted men at a distance too great for pursuit by infantry. Several flying rebels were fired upon, and some of the men say two were killed, but Major Holmes thinks this to be a mistake.

I desired very much to arrest two of the more notorious leaders of the rebels, one Hildebrand and a Dr. Smith; both fled. The expedition