of armed men, numbering 15 or 20 each, were seen several times during the day moving toward Stockton and White Hare, in Cedar County. Wednesday morning Cedar Creek was rendered impassable by heavy rains, and in view of the wounded men the command returned to Osceola, the principal force reaching there Thursday afternoon in a terrible thunder-storm, which tore up threes and rocks, rendering several creeks impassable two hours after the passage of the command.

Captains Bryan and Gravely and Lieutenant Shriver are complimented for their efficiency. Twenty-two prisoners were brought in, mostly taken with arms in their hands.*

Lieutenant-Colonel Moss seems to have behaved with energy and spirit, and as Colonel Warren, of the same regiment, is moving from Butler toward the same point, I hope soon to report as dead the balance of the Wild Irishmen.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

LUCIEN J. BARNES,

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

Lieutenant Colonel C. W. MARSH,

A. A. G., Saint Louis, Mo.

No. 2. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Charles E. Moss, First Iowa Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS POST OF OSCEOLA,
April 17, 1862.

GENERAL: On the morning of April 13, 1862, I left this place in command of Companies D and K, First Iowa Cavalry, 100 strong, to proceed to Montevallo, Vernon County, for the purpose of breaking up a company of guerrillas, reported 300 strong, supposed to have collected at a point 12 miles distant from that place, on Cedar and Horse Creeks. I was joined by a force of State Militia, under Captain Gravely, from Humansville, 150 strong, making my whole force 250 men. After crossing Sac River, 15 miles above its junction with the Osage, we came upon the open prairie, when the advance guard had a skirmish with a squad of jayhawkers, killing 1 and wounding 3 or 4 more. They fired upon the advance guard from a house, wounding Private John Bander, of Company K, First Iowa Cavalry, in the leg. After scouring the Beckstown, capturing on the way some 14 prisoners. The troops then moved on to Clintonville, 10 miles from Montevallo, where the State Militia encamped for the night. Companies D and K then proceeded to Centreville, 5 miles distant from Montevallo, and encamped for the night. Learning at this point that a company of Federal troops left Montevallo only two days previous, and there was no organized force in 12 miles form that place, I detailed Lieutenant Barnes, from Company K, First Iowa Cavalry, 26 men, and the guide (Andrew J. Pugh) and my own servant, making the whole party 28 men, and proceeded to Montevallo, leaving Captain Bryan in command of the camp, with orders to come up early in the morning.

I arrived at Montevallo at 7 o'clock in the evening, and quartered my men in and about the yard of the hotel, giving special orders to all the men to sleep on their arms and remain close together, prepared for any

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*Nominal list of casualties shows 2 killed and 4 wounded, all of First Iowa Cavalry.

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