can hear of no secession embodied anywhere. Numbers of them have gone to Tipton and taken the oath, and are now perfectly quiet friendly.

I herewith inclose a letter from Lieutenant Reeder.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. W. McCLURG,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Second Battalion M. S. M.

Brigadier General JAMES TOTTEN,

Commanding Central District of Missouri, Jefferson City, Mo.

CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN MISSOURI, ARKANSAS, KANSAS, AND THE INDIAN TERRITORY FROM NOVEMBER 19, 1861, TO APRIL 10, 1862.

UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

SAINT LOUIS, MO., October 29, 1861.

General MEIGS, Washington, D. C.:

DEAR SIR: I am sorry to have caused you so much annoyance by my frequent importunity for money and complaints at existing state of things, but really our difficulties have been legion, and it is now almost a doubtful struggle in coming out right in the quotient; that is, of having gun and mortar in efficient condition for going down the river in December.

i am urging on the gunboats proper, but amid difficulties almost insuperable. Still I hope to succeed. I have appointed Mr. S. Henriques paymaster-in-chief, who, independently of doing a single paymaster's duty for a gunboat, not only acts as may clerk and secretary but also performs the duties of supervising contracts; in fact, is a thinking as well as working man. I appointed him to do the work intended for Mr. Wise while he acted in that capacity before being appointed assistant paymaster. I give him in all $200 per years less than Mr. Wise received. I trust that this is all right; in fact' I cannot get on without him, and he only could be secured at his present pay.

Excuse my hurry.

Respectfully and truly, yours,

A. H. FOOTE.

SAINT LOUIS, MO., November 7, 1861.

General MEIGS, Washington, D. C.:

DEAR SIR: I am happy to say, although at a late day, that guns, power, shell, small-arms, as well as all or most material sores, are now here, and with the men coming (as I infer from Secretary Fox's late letter to me that they will be on hand before the 25th instant), we shall be ready, as far as I can control matters, to equip and soon have the gunboats in fighting order. Still the boats are not ready, and I am nervously anxious about them, finding that they are drawing so much water on being launched, and therefore consider it my duty to make the following statement in reference to the gunboats and the mortar boats now building, most of which are already launched.