HEADQUARTERS,
Saint Louis, Mo., December 1, 1862-3.30 p. m.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief:

The Secretary of War disapproving, no guns have been or will be issued to Kansas militia. I have ordered no troops to Kansas. I desire an Iowa regiment nearly full to move down from Council Bluffs to Leavenworth, but it has not moved. No surplus troops in Nebraska or Kansas.

SAML. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS,
Saint Louis, Mo., December 1, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

General Halleck says you disapprove loan of refuse muskets to Kansas volunteers. I will not, therefore, loan them. I disclaim all idea of disrespect. I supposed a temporary loan of one thousand or fifteen hundred refuse arms and matter of military discretion within my responsibility.

SAML. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTH MILITARY DISTRICT, MISSOURI,
Lexington, December 1, 1862.

Colonel WILLIAM D. WOOD,

Adjutant-General, &c., Saint Louis:

COLONEL: On the evening of the 25th of November, I received a message from Colonel Penick, commanding at Independence, informing me that a force of between 300 and 400 men from Kansas, consisting in part of negroes and Indians, had, in violation of his express orders, marched through his lines at Independence, and were then engaged in plundering the people of the lower end of Jackson and upper end of La Fayette Counties. I immediately telegraphed to General Curtis, at Saint Louis, and General Loan, at Jefferson City, asking if this force was in Missouri in compliance with any orders to that effect, and was promptly informed that they were here without orders.

So soon as this information was received, I dispatched to Colonel Penick, at Independence, to dispose such of his force as might be at that post, so as to prevent their retreat in case they might attempt to make their escape. I also ordered over the militia of Ray County, under Lieutenant-Colonel Black, and part of Colonel Neill's regiment of La Fayette militia, with the command of Colonel McFerran, of Missouri State Militia, stationed at this post, who promptly co-operated with me, and were immediately marched toward the southwest part of this county as far as Grimton, where the command, consisting of about 350 men, were quartered for the night.

Early in the morning of the 27th, the command proceeded in the direction of Pink Hill, in Jackson, and about 3 o'clock of that day came up with Colonel Penick's command of 110 men, in pursuit of the Kansas men, and about a mile beyond overtook that command drawn up in line of battle to receive us, with their artillery, of which they had one piece, planted so as to rake the lane through which the command had to pass.