Cole Camp and Buffalo Mills to Duroc, 15 miles below Warsaw. Upon arriving at the latter place, we found they had crossed the river and were too far ahead of us to be overtaken. We then returned to Sedalia on the evening of the 17th. During the whole time we were upon forced marches without rations, and my men obeyed every order without a murmur, and acted upon the battle-field and elsewhere as veteran soldiers.

The casualties are as follows:*

Hoping the above details of our campaign will be satisfactory, I remain, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. GENTRY,

Major, Commanding Battalion.

Brigadier General E. B. BROWN,

Jefferson City, Mo.

Numbers 6. Report of Colonel John F. Philips, Seventh Missouri State Militia Cavalry, of operations October 6-18.

HDQRS. SEVENTH MISSOURI STATE MILITIA CAVALRY,
Sedalia, Mo., October 9, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to your order of the 6th instant, received at 5 p. m., to move to Clinton to assist in repelling the raid of the rebel general Shelby, I left camp at Sedalia at 7 p. m., with three companies of my regiment and Company L, of the Fourth Missouri State Militia Cavalry. Marching all night, I reached your headquarters at Clinton at 11 a. m., 7th instant. (I omitted to state that I also had one section First Missouri State Militia Light Artillery, commanded by Captain Thurber). On the night of the 7th instant, I was joined by seven companies of my regiment and Major T. W. Houts.

On the 8th instant, we marched to Osceola, 30 miles, and bivouacked on the south side of the Osage River. Learning through the night that the enemy had appeared at Warsaw and possessed that place, Major Foster, of my regiment, was detached, with 200 men, to go to Warsaw that night and follow up the enemy and observe his movements. At daylight next morning, we marched toward Sedalia, apprehending that the enemy designed making a descent upon that place. That day and night we marched 65 miles, reaching Sedalia at 5 a. m. Company E, of my regiment, was at Warsaw, occupying that station, when the enemy attacked the town. This company formed on the river bank and fought very determinedly, holding the enemy in check for half an hour on the south side of the river, until it was discovered that he had crossed a part of his force at the Hackberry Ford, 6 miles below town, and already occupied a commanding position in rear of the company. Thus virtually surrounded and largely outnumbered, nothing was left them but to seek safety in fleeing, which they did, passing out northeast, soon finding shelter in the brush. They wounded several of the enemy, but lost their transportation, consisting of 2 Government wagons and 12 mules. Assistant Surgeon Edwards, in change of hospital, narrowly escaped with the ambulance. The hospital stores fell into the enemy's hands, with the surgeon's case of surgical instruments, new and com-

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*Nominal list, omitted, shows 5 men wounded.

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