CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING SPECIALLY TO OPERATIONS IN MISSOURI, ARKANSAS, KANSAS, THE INDIAN TERRITORY, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NORTHWEST FROM APRIL 10 TO NOVEMBER 20, 1862.

UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

SAINT LOUIS, MO., April 11, 1862.

Lieutenant Colonel J. A. EPPSTEIN, Booneville Mo.:"

COLONEL: Yours of 8th instant is at hand.* You are authorized to exercise your discretion and judgment in the disposition of cases of disloyal persons arrested by you, either to discharge them upon oath or require the oath and a bond, with or without security, as you may deem expedient. Great care should be taken to discriminate between the various grades of their offenses and ability to give security. Where parties have given aid and comfort to the enemy or openly encouraged the rebellion, and their standing in the community or property enables them to give a bond and you require it if them, hold them in confinement until they comply. Where their individual bond will be good take it. The taking the oath provided by the ordinance of the State Convention was an amnesty for all offenses committed before that time; that is, where the oath was taken before the 15th December last. If they are guilty of any disloyal act since that time they are liable to be tried and punished for violation of oath.

The taking an oath before another provost-marshal does not preclude you from requiring a bond of them in cases where deem it necessary.

In all cases where the civil law can be made available it is desirable to turn offenders over to the officers of the civil law.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BERNARD G. FARRAR,

Provost-Marshal-General.

HEADQUARTERS,
Butler, Bates Country, Mo., April 12, 1862.

Captain LUCIEN J. BARNES,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

The detachments under Captains Leffingwell and Caldwell returned with their prisoners (34) this evening. One of the jayhawkers was killed by a rifle-shot in attempting an escape, and one of our men was captured, but was retaken after being robbed of horse, saddle, arms, and clothing, except shirt and drawers. Most of these men are of the works, and ought to be shot or hung. The whole wooded country of the Marias-des-Cygnes, Osage, and their tributaries is full of them.

I shall move three columns early next week my different routes from this point and Clinton, making Montevallo, Vernon Country, the Point of junction.

We shall not be able to get any fight out of them. We can only chase down. Very few arms captured. They immediately throw them away when close pressed. I have no instructions what to do with

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* Not found.

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