number of horses, arms, equipments, &c. Thirteenth of the same command have surrendered to the commanding officer of the post at Lexington.

I am, very truly, your obedient servant,

E. B. BROWN,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding.

Major OLIVER D. GREENE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Saint Louis, Mo.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CENTRAL MISSOURI,
Jefferson City, Mo., October 28, 1863.

MAJOR: I have the honor to report that, on the 6th instant, while at Clinton, Henry County, I received a dispatch from the major-general commanding, advising me that a rebel force, 1,400 strong, under Shelby, had entered the southwest corner of the State, and was moving north, and that it might become necessary to concentrate the troops in this district, and that co-operation with the commands of Brigadier-General Ewing might be required. Acting upon this information, I ordered all the available force in the district to concentrate at Sedalia Warrensburg, Clinton, and Warsaw, and that 2,000 Enrolled Missouri Militia be called into active service.

Upon receiving information, deemed reliable, that the enemy had advanced as far north as Stockton, and was moving west from that point, and that a rebel force under Quantrill was in the border counties, for the purpose of uniting with Shelby, I marched with about 600 men to Osceola, while Colonel Weer was at Butler with 500, and General Ewing at Harrisonville with about an equal force, prepared to meet the enemy in front.

Soon after arriving at Osceola, on the evening of the 8th instant, I learned that my information was incorrect, and that the enemy had passed Warsaw, and was moving toward the Pacific Railroad. I ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Lazear, who had arrived at Clinton with the First Missouri State Militia, to move to the east in search of the enemy, and, as soon as my horses were rested, I marched rapidly to Sedalia, a distance of nearly 70 miles, making this march on the day and night of the 9th instant.

At daylight of the 10th, I ordered Major Kelly, Fourth Missouri State Militia, and Major Gentry, Fifth Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia, with all their available force, to march to the east along the Pacific Railroad and harass the enemy, and prevent his advance, and form a junction with Lieutenant-Colonel Lazear, who as following him from Cole Camp toward Syracuse. In the night of the 10th, I learned that a detachment from the enemy had burned La Mine Bridge, having captured Captain Berry with 30 men (who were left to guard it), without firing a gun, and that he was moving toward Boonville, closely followed by the united forces of Lazear, Kelly, Gentry, and a small detachment of the Ninth Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia, commanded by Captain W. D. Wear, making in all about 1,000 men. Major Foster, Seventh Missouri State Militia, who had been sent with about 100 men from Osceola to Warsaw, returned to Sedalia, reporting that near Warsaw he encountered a gang of rebel stragglers, killing 5 of them, and that he had fought small parties of the enemy nearly all the way to Cole Camp.

At daylight of the 11th, I marched with ten companies of the Seventh