me; said I could not send any message anywhere. The guard was relieved regularly till about 11, when line went down. I expect some of them went out to cut it.

All quiet here now. The adjutant thinks there is no danger to-night.

HOFFS.

Numbers 3. Report of Lieutenant Herman J. Huiskamp, Sixth Missouri Cavalry.

BLOOMFIELD, MO., October 22, 1863-8.40 p. m.

COLONEL: This morning at 7 I was awakened by Captain Crockett, who told me Lieutenant Reber wished to see me to at his headquarters at 8 o'clock. I arrived three at about 8, and found in Lieutenant Reber's office Captain Crockett, Captain Paynter, Lieutenant Burross, Lieutenant Reber, and Lieutenant Potter. They were armed, all of them but Captain Crockett, who only had his belt on. On entering the room I noticed that all battery horses were harnessed. I was requested to take a seat; after doing which, Lieutenant Reber got up and first read a paper signed by the above-named officers, in which they had come to the conclusion that this post was in the hands of a traitor, or words to that effect, and stating also that they intended immediately to arrest the major by force; after which a tremendously long list of charges were read, too voluminous to mention. After getting through this, I was informed that it was decided in a meeting previously that I should not be called in; but upon further deliberation I was called and asked to put my signature to their writings, which I flatly and emphatically refused to do, telling them I did not believe a single one of their charges, and, therefore, considered the thing hasty and wrong. The battery lieutenant then told me he would immediately move his battery in front of the major's headquarters. I told him he might move it there, and, if he pleased, let it off when he got there. After leaving their council, Captain Crockett walked a small distance toward headquarters with me. I told him to forward the changes, and the investigation would naturally follow. He said those were his counsels last night, but they were overruled, and it was too late now to back out. Immediately afterward the battery was planted in front of headquarters, and the cavalry, dismounted, supporting it. The major just then coming up, I told him what was the matter. We both then walked up toward them. Upon seeing us approach, Captain Paynter ordered a detail of 4 men from each company, who, seeing that the old major was about to be arrested, were very slow in coming; being, however, ordered by their commanding officer, could not disobey. Captain Potter then asked the major to surrender himself, saying that Captain Crockett would now assume command of the post. The major refused to recognize the arrest, as coming from an inferior officer. We then turned around and walked toward headquarters, closely followed by a guard of 16 men, headed by Captain Paynter. The major at first ordered the officers to dismiss these men, which order was flatly disobeyed. Upon entering the house the guard was instructed to let no men out. Three men were then sent inside, under command of Lieutenant Burross, to prevent the sending of dispatches, with orders to shot the operator if he attempted to work his line. The guard standing with cocked pistols to prevent him, he told them to shoot, and be damned. In the mean