SEDALIA, Mo., december 8, 1861.

General HALLECK, Saint Louis:

No news from the north; reliable information from Price. Steen's divisions crossed the Osage and scattered his forces along the river; one battalion marched towards Warsaw. Camp talk says Price's returns show 8,000. Ten thousand rebels in Saint Louis ready to spring to arms at a moments's warning; this from a prisoner in Price's camp. Magoffin's son and son-in-law taken prisoners by my scouts; both been in Price's army. If I had cavalry, could confiscate property to a large amount. There are considerable parties of the enemy scouting within 20 miles of us and quite a large force at Blackwater.

FRED'K STEELE,

Colonel, &c.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., December 8, 1861.

Colonel FRED'K STEELE, Sedalia, Mo.:

Stay where you are till you get orders from me.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS,
Rolla, Mo., December 8, 1861.

Captain J. C. KELTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Saint Louis, Mo.:

CAPTAIN: All the reliable scouts that come from the west report that there are no forces of the enemy, except small scoutingh and stealing bands, which are in all the counties around this post. The news from Lebanon is the same. Mr. Scott, one of my scouts who left Lebanon yesterday morning, says there were no forces there, except a band of State Guards under Captain Sweeney and McNey. All the little bands of horse-thieves, robbers, and destitute rebels are stealing on account of Price's army.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. M. DODGE,

Colonel, Commanding Post.

OSAWATOMIE, KANS., December 8, 1861.

General JAMES H. LANE:

SIR: Everything is going wrong here. What you an I feared at Springfield is coming to pass. The enemy is advancing. He disbanded his three-months' men about the 20th of November, and moved north with his regulars, some 10,000 strong. He marched by way of Sarcoxie, Greenfield, Stockton, and Bolivar, striking the Osage at Warsaw and Osceola. The bisbanded men have carried their arms home with them and engaged in guerilla operations. The country swarms with guerillas, and this makes it difficult to procure information. Our faithful scouts (Breedin and Nelson) brought me accurate information of the enemy's movements, though they obtained it with great difficulty, being shot at not less than one hundred times.