heard of them. Two others soldiers, who were attending upon a sick family a short distance outside the stockade, were captured, and, unarmed as they were, begging for their lives, were shot down in their tracks. Livingston passed rapidly out, without venturing to attack the squad in the stockade.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. B. ENO,

Major, Commanding Sub-district.

Major JAMES H. STEGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Springfield, Mo.

MARCH 5-12, 1863.-Expedition from Helena up the Saint Francis and Little Rivers, and skirmish at Madison, Ark.

Report of Colonel Powell Clayton, Fifth Kansas Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH KANSAS REGIMENT,
Camp Vandever, March 13, 1863.

COLONEL: In accordance with Special Orders, No.-, brigade headquarters, and subsequent orders from Brigadier-General [B. M.] Prentiss, I proceeded with my command, composed of 50 infantry (Twenty-fourth Indian Volunteers), 25 cavalry (Third Iowa Volunteers) and one section of the Second Ohio Battery (6-pounders), on board the steamer Hamilton Belle, up the Saint Francis River, starting on Friday, March 5, at 9 a. m. Nothing of interest occurred until we arrived at Madison, a small country town situated at a point where the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad crosses the Saint Francis River. We arrived at this point a little after daylight, and, from the nature of the river, we were entirely concealed from observation from the town until we arrived within a few hundred yards of it. Here we completely surprised a rebel force of about 75 strong, who fled in great confusion as the boat touched the landing, leaving behind everything except the clothing they had upon their persons. My infantry and cavalry landed with the greatest possible celerity, and pursued them in every direction, capturing and bringing to the boat 27 of their number. Of course, everything they left behind fell into our hands, consisting of arms, horses, horse equipments, blankets, &c.

Having instructions from General Prentiss to capture, if possible, the steamer Miller, which was said to be somewhere in Little River near its mouth, I therefore continued up the Saint Francis until I came to the mouth of that river; thence up the same for about 25 miles, when I reached the Miller, which, to my disappointment, I found in a sunken condition. The point where the Miller lay was about 250 miles from Helena, and believing that before I could return the rebels would probably collect all available troops together at some favorable point to dispute my passage, I seized, a different points and from different persons, sixty-four bales of cotton, out of which I had constructed very efficient breastworks, not only for the protection of the men, but for the protection of the boat in case they should bring artillery to bear upon us.

Upon my return, I captured, near the mouth of Little River, 3 men engaged in contraband trade. I found in their possession 13 barrels of salt, 2 barrels of flour, 80 ounces of quinine, and a large amount of percussion-caps. At Wittsburg I captured 15 hogshead of sugar, and re-