sheriff's posses, to whom General Blunt has issued arms and rations, and most of whom are mounted. Four of these companies are on the Santa Fe road, at Olathe, Black Jack, Marion Township, and Council Grove; and the others on the border, at Paola and Atchison. I cannot yet speak advisedly as to the value of these organizations.

Two companies of the Ninth are in General Blunt's district, and will be sent me for two of the Sixth. I have one company of the same regiment (B). Captain [Asaph] Allen is at Fort Halleck, Nebr., and would doubtless be returned to this department on application from your headquarters. You will see I have not the cavalry force we supposed I had when the district was formed. I understood the Fourth Missouri State Militia were here, but when the four companies ordered from Sedalia reach Lexington there will then be but half of it in the district. I am satisfied three full cavalry regiments are necessary. The border counties of Kansas need a larger force than those of Missouri, for the Kansas border is rich and that of Missouri poor and uninviting to robbers. One company is as small a force as can safely be stationed at any one place, and one company to a county is not enough to guard it. For the present, until I can reduce the maximum size of the guerrilla bands very greatly, or until efficient local companies are organized, I shall need two regiments, scattered by companies at stations, for local protection of inhabitants and for small scouting parties, and then one regiment for ceaseless pursuit of the gangs throughout the infested regions. I can get along well with the Ninth Kansas and the First Missouri State Militia, the one chiefly for guard and small scouting parties on the very border, the other in portions of Missouri somewhat removed from the border. The third regiment, however, should be a first-rate one, and experienced in such work. For this duty I wish you would send me the Ninth Missouri, Colonel Guitar. I am sure there is scarcely anywhere a regiment so good for that work, and the work must be done thoroughly and savagely, or the last fighting of the war will be along the border. With a view to this application, I will keep at Lexington and Warrensburg all the six companies of the Fourth Missouri State Militia, and will send them back to General Brown, or wherever ordered. If I cannot have Guitar's regiment, I shall need six more companies to make the three regiments, and would be glad to have that part of the Third Wisconsin at Rolla, or the four companies of the Sixth Kansas there.

Your telegram to General Blunt to keep Penick here did not reach Penick, in consequence, I was informed by the general, of the telegraph line being down. The sudden withdrawal of Penick's regiment threw the border into consternation, and large bands of guerrillas at once rose and threatened the border towns. I can do nothing more than garrison duty with the cavalry here now.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOMAS EWING, Jr.,

Commanding District, &c.

HEADQUARTERS DIVISION OF CAIRO,
Cairo, June 17, 1863.

Major General JOHN M. SCHOFIELD, Saint Louis, Mo.:

SIR: Your letter of the 15th instant is this day received.* I have the honor to inform you that all my troops, except five small companies of infantry, have been sent south, the last of them to Columbus, Ky.

---------------

*See Schofield to Pennock, p. 319.

---------------