P. S. - Use al the citizens you can to collect information, and send all that is important and reliable to me at Greenville; also, report the same, by express, to General Leonidas Polk, at Columbus.

FREDERICTOWN, MO., October 20, 1861 - 12 noon.

Colonel D. F. SHALL, C. S. A.,

Commanding Arkansas Troops, Iron County, Missouri:

DEAR COLONEL: You will please take your whole command to Belcher's, on Cedar Creek, to-night, and await orders there. I will march in two hours, to intercept the march of the troops from Cape

Girardeau, and will probably meet them on Castor, and I wish you near enough to co-operate.

Yours, most respectfully,

M. JEFF. THOMPSON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

CAMP AT CARTER'S, MO., October 22, 1861 - 8.30 a. m.

Major D. F. SHALL, C. S. A., Greenville, Mo.:

DEAR MAJOR: We reached this point at daylight, and will remain until 12 o'clock, unless compelled to leave sooner, which I do not think is at all probable. Of course you will hear very gloomy stories about our little battle yesterday, but we came out much better than might have been expected, and I am not at all discouraged, and really know that when the object of my forward movement is know, you will give me the credit of a victory. I am anxious that they shall still follow me, as every man brought into this part of the State is that much nearer the Confederate Army, and away from the pursuit of General Price. You will please move your men out to meet us, and picket all the roads well to-night, as my men will then sleep some, knowing that you are on the watch, and to-morrow we will be fresh and ready for duty. You will please send a patrol on the Ironton road until we get into Greenville.

Yours, most respectfully,

M. JEFF. THOMPSON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

CAMP, GREENVILLE, MO., October 23, 1861.

To the COMMANDANT AT PITMAN'S FERRY:

SIR: I retreated from Fredericktown, with my command, in good order, to this point, where I will remain until to-morrow, and then will take my dragons northward again, to cut off the detached parties of the enemy, or force them to march southward in pursuit of me. My infantry will leave here to-morrow, via Indian Ford, to Bloomfield, passing on the southwest side of the Saint Francis. There are none of the enemy south of the line from Ironton to Cape Girardeau that we can hear of, but I will go up and hunt them to-morrow. Major Shall's discretion exceeded his valor when he retreated to assist in the defense of Pitman's Ferry, while I was 60 miles north of there, with a victorious army of 2,000 men (for we were victorious, though we fell