attack that might be made. The men mostly slept in a room of a log house attached to the hotel, and in the loft over a stable in the yard, in which were picketed the horses. Four or five of the men slept in the front kitchen of the hotel. After the guards were set and the horses properly cared for and fed I retired, with Lieutenant Barnes, for the night. About 4.30 o'clock in the morning we were alarmed by an approaching body of armed men, said to be 50 strong, demanding an immediate surrender, with a threat of firing the house over our heads and shooting each one of us unless we complied with the demand. The demand was answered by a shot from one of my men. The fight now commenced and waged fiercely until daylight, when the enemy retreated. The enemy would unquestionably have carried their threat of firing the house into execution were it not for the determined spirit of my command.

After the fight had continued a short time I retired with Lieutenant Barnes and four of five men from the lower to the upper story of the building, where deliberate aim could be taken from the windows, and the shots told with fearful effect upon the foe, who retired some 50 yards distant and took shelter behind a neighboring store. The order was given to rush out, fall into line, and charge upon them. This being given in a tone sufficiently loud to be heard by the enemy caused them to disperse and cease firing. The precise loss of the enemy cannot be ascertained; several were known to have been killed and 7 wounded, 3 mortally. Among the mortally wounded was Daniel Henly, known in Saint Clair, Cedar, and Vernon as the "Wild Irishman," and leader of the most desperate gangs of desperadoes in Missouri. Our loss was 2 killed and 4 wounded.

Never did men under similar circumstances display greater gallantry than those with me that night. Being exposed to a most murderous fire from double their number of men, well armed, not a man flinched or showed any disposition to surrender or give up the contest. Lieutenant Barnes and Andrew J. Pugh (my guide) deserve my warmest thanks for their cool gallantry and determined courage. The band was found to be composed mostly of persons living or staying in the immediate vicinity of the place.

The men met at another building, occupied as a tavern, and situated about 300 yards from where I stopped with my command. The ground between that hotel and the one we occupied was covered with vacant log huts and wooden buildings, with the exception of about seven roads, which was covered with a thick growth of brush. These buildings and the underbrush covered from view the advance of the foe until within 30 yards of the house. They were enabled by that means to approach much nearer before being discovered than they otherwise would have done. Two privates of Company K left against orders, and went to a house and staid overnight some quarter of a mile distant, at a house occupied by a man belonging to the band, and were captured, with their horses and arms.

Soon after daylight Captain Bryan came up with the two companies of Iowa cavalry and State Militia. I immediately sent out a scout, under Lieutenant Barnes, of Company K, in pursuit, directing him to scout the country as far as Nevada and return that evening. I also sent another, under command of Captain Bryan, with orders to scour the country in the opposite direction and return in the evening. The scout under Lieutenant Barnes soon came in sight of 15 of the band and pursued them some 15 miles, without being able to capture them or recover the prisoners. He followed them to Nevada, in Vernon County, and returned