PILOT KNOB, MO., September 19, 1863.

Major-General SCHOFIELD:

The force sent in pursuit of Freeman were too far behind to catch up with the fleeing rebels. Their retreat from Salem was rapid, and continued until they passed into Arkansas, where I hope to reach them yet. The force ordered to the southeast have killed 7 nd captured 20 of the guerrilla gang infesting Dunklin and Pemiscot Counties, and on the 16th instant they were pushing for Osceola.

CLINTON B. FISK,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF THE BORDER,
Kansas City, Mo., September 19, 1863.

Major General JOHN M. SCHOFIELD:

GENERAL: Before receiving your late letter as to the taking off the second tier of counties, I had arranged with Lieutenant-Colonel Lazear to put all of the First Missouri in La Fayette and Johnson Counties under his command, to operate from Lexington, Warrensburg, and an intermediate station, and to put five of the six companies of the Fifth Provisional Regiment in Henry and Saint Clair under Colonel [Henry] Neill. That arrangement will be completed by the time you get this letter. If you were at once to cut off the second tier, I would have in my district one company of the Fourth and two of the Eleventh Missouri, as escort to New Mexico, and five companies of the Fourth and four of the Eleventh bushwhacking. The most of these last are on the very edge of La Fayette County, and might be put at once over the line; but they had better remain a week or ten days, until the militia companies are armed, accepted, and on duty.

I agreed to accept fifteenth militia companies as garrison for Kansas towns, which I will keep well out of the border-two at Leavenworth and one at each of the following points: Shawnee, Olathe, Paola, Mound City, Ossawatomie, Lawrence, Topeka, Council Grove, and Le Roy, south of the river, and Wyandotte, Atchison, Doniphan, and Maysville, north of the river. I will not need them over six weeks or two months, when the campaign will be pretty much over and the people will quiet down.

I appreciate the reasons for the proposed change of boundary, and if the work is vigorously pushed in La Fayette and Johnson Counties by General Brown, as I have no doubt it will be, the public interests may not suffer by the change.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOMAS EWING, JR.,

Brigadier-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, September 20, 1863.

Major-General SCHOFIELD, Saint Louis, Mo.:

The troops from General Pope were ordered to Saint Louis, to report to you.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

35 R R-VOL XXII, PT II