rill's Horse; Captains Clinton and Mondell, of the First Missouri, for their gallant and cool bearing during the entire action.

The loss of the enemy cannot be actually ascertained, but from the most reliable information their loss in killed and wounded cannot be less than 80 to 100.

Yours, most obediently,

W. M. G. TORRENCE,

Major, First Battalion, First Iowa Cavalry.

Brigadier-General POPE, Otterville, Mo.

Numbers 4. Report of Colonel Lewis Merrill, Second Missouri Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS MERRILL'S HORSE,
Columbia, Mo., January 10, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that on the night of Sunday, the 5th, nearly at daylight, I received a dispatch from Colonel Birge (at Sturgeon), stating that a part of some 300 or 400 rebels had camped that night at Renick, and were to move next morning to Roanoke, some 12 or 15 miles from there, with the object of crossing the river at Arrow Rock or Brunswick, and stating that he would attempt to overtake them by daylight of the 6th, and requesting me to co-operate. Not approving the plan proposed for me by Colonel Birge, I sent Lieutenant-Colonel Shaffer, with all the men I could spare, to go by way of Fayette and thence north towards Roanoke and cut off the retreat of the enemy, should Colonel Birge's command not success in overtaking him at Renick. Colonel Birge, I understand, went to Renick, and not finding the enemy, returned to Sturgeon the same day. Lieutenant-Colonel Shaffer reached Fayette late the night of the 6th, and there found a large cavalry force, consisting of detachments from the First Missouri Cavalry, under command of Major Hubbard, First Iowa Cavalry, under Major Torrence, and Merrill's Horse, under Major Hunt. He then learned during the night that the enemy, variously estimated at from 1,300 to 2,500, were encamped on Smith's farm, about 5 miles from Roanoke. At the same time he received information that the remains of the command of Colonel Dorsey, which had been engaged in the Mount Zion fight, was then marching to attack me at Columbia. I had only part of one company left when Colonel Shaffer City to escort the provision train. Early next morning he sent the command of Major Hubbard, which he had found at Fayette, re-enforced by one company of his own command, to find the enemy's camp, and returned at once to Columbia with the rest of his command.

Major Hubbard found the enemy's camp about 14 miles northwest of Fayette about 3 o'clock p. m., and immediately attacked them, routing them completely and taking possession of their camp, which he entirely destroyed. I have no official reports of the engagement form the part of my regiment engaged, and I presume before this Major Hubbard's reports have been received. The loss of my regiment was 2 killed and 3 wounded. The enemy's loss is not positively reported, but 5 are known to have been killed and 14 taken prisoners. This is only what is certainly known.