AUGUST 20-28, 1863.- Quantrill's raid into Kansas, and pursuit by Union forces.

SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS.

August 21, 1863.- Massacre at Lawrence, Kans.

Skirmish near Brooklyn, Kans.

Skirmish near Paola, Kans.

22, 1863.- Skirmish on Big Creek, near Pleasant Hill, Mo.

25-26, 1863.- Skirmishes near Hopewell, Mo.

REPORTS.

Numbers 1.- Major General John M. Schofield, U. S. Army, commanding Department of the Missouri.*

Numbers 2.- Brigadier General Thomas Ewing, jr., U. S. Army, commanding District of the Border.

Numbers 3.- Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Clark, Ninth Kansas Cavalry.

Numbers 5.- Major Linn K. Thacher, Ninth Kansas Cavalry.

Numbers 6.- Captain Charles F. Coleman, Ninth Kansas Cavalry.

Numbers 7.- Captain John Ballinger, First Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

Numbers 8.- Lieutenant Cyrus Leland, jr., Tenth Kansas Infantry.

Numbers 9.- Lieutenant Colonel Walter King, Fourth Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

Numbers 1. Report of Major General John M. Schofield, U. S. Army, commanding Department of the Missouri.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo. September 14, 1863.

COLONEL: I have the honor to forward herewith, for the information of the General-in-Chief, Brigadier-General Ewing's report of the burning of Lawrence, Kans., and massacre of its inhabitants, and of the operations of his troops in the pursuit and punishment of the rebels and assassins who committed the atrocious deed.

Immediately after his return from the pursuit of Quantrill, on the 25th of August, General Ewing issued an order depopulating certain counties, and destroying all forage and subsistence therein. The reasons which led him to adopt this severe measure are given in his report.

The people of Kansas were, very naturally, intensely excited over the destruction of one of their fairest towns, and the murder of a large number of its unarmed citizens, and many of them called loudly for vengeance, not only upon the perpetrators of the horrible crime, but also upon all the people residing in the counties of Missouri, and who were assumed to be more or less guilty of aiding the criminals. It would be greatly unjust to the people of Kansas, in general, to say that they shared in this desire for indiscriminate vengeance; but there were not wanting unprincipled leaders to fan the flame of popular excitement and goad the people to madness, in the hope of thereby accomplishing their own selfish ends.

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* See also General Schofield's general report, p. 12.

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