hoped to intercept him and capture his guns before crossing the Saint Francis, but his retreat was too precipitate. I have punished the enemy severely. A large number wounded strew the road. His rear guard fought us stubbornly all along the road from Jackson to this point, destroying bridges in their rear and adopting every means to retard our progress. Brigadier-General McNeil has greatly distinguished himself. Throughout the arduous pursuit, on account of his personal knowledge of the country, I assigned him the advance. This morning he had a horse shot from under him. Colonel [J. M.] Glover, commanding troops from Ironton, also deserves special mention for his undoubted bravery and skill. I would also call your special attention to the skill and bravery displayed by Colonel [O. H.] La Grange, of the First Wisconsin Cavalry, who commanded a brigade. Colonel [John C.] Black, Thirty-seventh Illinois Volunteers brought a portion of his brigade gallantly into action this morning, and deserves special mention for his services. I regret to announce the loss to-day of Lieutenant [Joseph] Eaton, of the Thirty-seventh Illinois Volunteers, killed by the premature explosion of one of our own shells. Lieutenant-Colonel [Robert] Carrick, Third Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, slightly wounded. Captain Meisner, Second Missouri Artillery, chief of artillery, wounded in foot. Our whole loss in killed, wounded and missing will not exceed 50. In obedience to your order, I am now moving to Bloomfield, from which place I will communicate further. I write this from the field almost before the sound of our artillery has ceased to echo along the valley of the Saint Francis, on the line between Arkansas and Missouri.

The officers and men of my command deserve the highest praise for courage and endurance displayed on the most arduous pursuit of an enemy which has characterized this war.

Thanking you most sincerely for kind expressions contained in your dispatch, I am, general, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. VANDEVER,

Brigadier-General.

Major General SAMUEL R. CURTIS,

Commanding Department.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, ARMY OF THE FRONTIER,
Bloomfield, Mo., May 4, 1863.

GENERAL: I am thus far back from the pursuit of Marmaduke. I followed him to the Saint Francis River, at Chalk Bluff, which is a little beyond the Arkansas line, and drove him across, with heavy loss of men, though he contrived to save his guns. I fought him each day for a week, and kept him moving. It is two weeks to-day since I left you, and have marched in that time 275 miles, and fought the enemy wherever 1 could get at him. The roads have been in very bad condition, and, as the enemy destroyed bridges in his rear, we had to rebuild them as we went. I think I can challenge the events of the war to show a more earnest and persistent pursuit of an enemy. Of course, men and horses have suffered from fatigue, but the men are in the best of spirits, and feel to-day as though this little army could whip the whole Southern Confederacy. I am going to Cape Girardeau, and will there telegraph Genera Curtis for leave to come to Saint Louis, where I shall hope to meet you, for I think I can communicate some things which it appears to me have been overlooked.

This region of country is rich, and full of corn and cattle. An army