He is partner. He openly defies you and the Government. Lane has encouraged him. The goods are to be sold to rebels. Allow me to suggest the stoppage of the train, and its search, via Cassville. The report at Fort Scott is that a large amount of buried treasure is at Fort Smith and Van Buren. I make this statement upon my honor as an officer. I believe a treasonable design is on foot. If mistaken, no harm can result from an examination of the train. McNeil should be warned, as I believe there is a design to overawe him.

WM. WEER,

Colonel Tenth Kansas Volunteers.

SAINT LOUIS, November 2, 1863.

Brigadier-General McNEIL:

It is officially reported to me that Major-General Blunt has started from Fort Scott for Fort Smith with a large train loaded with goods contraband of war, of which he is part owner; that he openly defies me and the Government. You will at once search the train, and ascertain the truth of this matter. If you find the report true, you will arrest General Blunt in my name, and send him to Saint Louis. If he refuses to obey the order of arrest, or refuses to turn over the command to you and return to Leavenworth, you will arrest him by force and send him to Saint Louis under guard.*

You will seize all contraband goods and arrest all persons engaged in contraband trade.

J. M. SCHOFIELD,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF THE FRONTIER,
Fort Smith, November 2, 1863.

Major General JOHN M. SCHOFIELD,

Commanding Department of the Missouri:

GENERAL: I have this day assumed command of this district, by virtue of your telegraphic order, received in the field, directing me to relieve General Blunt. I find the troops distributed as follows, by verbal report of Colonel Cloud, left in charge by General Blunt. As there is no record of returns here, the figures are of course somewhat conjectural:

Fort Scott, Twelfth Kansas Infantry, 600 men; Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, 900 men, and Second [Kansas] Colored, 800 men; total, 2,300 men. Baxter Springs, part of the Third Wisconsin Cavalry, number not known. Fort Gibson, Sixth Kansas Cavalry, 750 men; three Indian regiments, say 1,500 men, and Smith's Second Kansas Battery, six guns; total, 2,250 men and six guns. Van Buren, Third Wisconsin Cavalry (not reported); Thirteenth Kansas Infantry, and Hopkins' battery, say, in all, 1,000 men. Fort Smith, First Arkansas Infantry, First Kansas Colored, Second Colorado, Second Kansas Cavalry; Rabb's battery, seven companies,and Eighteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, 300 men; estimated at 2,800 men and six guns.

Besides these, we have 750 infantry and cavalry recruits, with as many more cut off from us in the mountains. These are for the most part not uniformed, and unarmed, and, until they are so, will be a nuisance about

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

*See McNeil to Schofield, December 1,p. 727.

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