to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Jacobi, in charge of a party of reconnaissance. I ordered Lieutenant Julius L. hadley to take the pieces designated and report. The party encamped for the night within a short distance of the enemy's pickets, and at daylight next morning, 30th ultimo, drove them within their camp guard in the town of Newtonia, Mo.

Lieutenant Hadley, who behaved so gallantly on this occasion, in his official report to me, gives the following account of the commencement of this engagement:

I moved forward to a position within 1,500 yards of the town and opened fire with solid shot at a large stone barn occupied by the enemy. My fire was answered immediately from near the barn or from one of the lower windows with 6-pounder solid shot. After firing 3 rounds from each gun I moved forward toward the barn, in a southerly direction, 500 yards, and again fired several shots; but the position being unfavorable to effect much, I asked and obtained permission to move to a point 1,000 yards to the west of the town, on the slope of the hill commanding the town. From this point I fired 25 rounds of solid shot from each gun (being all this time under a brisk and well-directed fire from the town of solid 6-pounder shot and 12-pounder spherical-case). Deeming my command too much exposed, and failing to silence their guns, which were well covered, and having permission to move at discretion, I limbered to the front and marched by the left flank, soon covering my guns in the low grounds in that direction. I then advanced to a point within 600 yards of the stone barn in front and 300 yards of a large force of infantry or dismounted cavalry engaging our infantry in a ravine on my left front. I opened fire on the force in the ravine with canister, driving them into town, with severe loss on their side. I then directed my left piece to fire solid shot at a stone wall to our left of the barn, which was lined with men. My two right pieces then engaged the enemy's two guns to our right of the barn, and in less than thirty minutes drove them to a position 300 yards in rear of the barn. Two 12-pounder mountain howitzers, of the Ninth Kansas Cavalry, now came up, and our combined fire compelled their artillery to retire beyond the town. We were now ordered to retire, which we did in good order, the infantry keeping back their cavalry nobly.

A large force of cavalry (about 800) appeared in a corn field within 350 yards on my right flank and commenced breaking down the fence between us. I wheeled my battery to the right, and advancing to he crest of the hill, opened fire on them with canister at 250 yards. I succeeded in giving them 11 rounds of canister and two solid shot, scattering their men and horses in every direction.

The remainder of my battery arrived on the field in front of Newtonia, with the other forces, about 2 p. m., and I was ordered to advance on a point of ground commanding the town and near the center of our line of battle. In this position I opened fire with solid shot from two 3-inch rifled guns and one brass 6-pounder, the enemy's batteries instantly responding. A gun was now observed in a window of the stone building, which was run up to the window to fire and taken behind the walls to load. I directed Lieutenant Hubbard, commanding the section of 3-inch rifled guns, to throw a few shells into the building. Two percussion shells, bursting in the buildings, silenced the piece for the balance of the day and scattered their cannoneers, they jumping out of the windows in every direction. Colonel Phillips, commanding Third Indian Regiment, on the extreme left of the line,w as now hotly contesting his position, when General Salomon ordered me to support him. I immediately ordered Lieutenant Hadley to proceed with the left half of the battery to a point commanding the left of Colonel Phillips' line, and directed the fire of the right half of the battery to my left, checking the advance of the large rebel force moving against the Indian regiment. As soon as the rebels commenced to waver the Indians commenced to advance and drove them until their ammunition gave out, when they retired under cover of my guns. I now discovered large masses of troops posted in the corn field directly in front of the position lately occupied by Colonel Phillips' Indians