ing in this command will give them every encouragement and facility, and that the citizens will respond to this order with that alacrity and willingness betokening a spirit of true loyalty and evincive of a determination to do their duty to themselves and the country.

By order of Colonel John F. Philips, commanding:

A. R. CONKLIN,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CENTRAL MISSOURI,
Warrensburg, January 12, 1865.

Captain MEREDITH,

Commanding, Lexington, Mo.:

Telegraph me in full of movements of enemy; give their force. Where have they gone? Did you whip or kill any of them? Lose any men? Captain Burris left last night with 100 men to assist you.

JOHN F. PHILIPS,

Colonel, Commanding District.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DIST. OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI,

Numbers 12.
Springfield, Mo., January 12, 1865.

* * * * *

III. Captain D. H. Connaway, commanding Company M, Fifteenth Cavalry Missouri Volunteers, will, upon the receipt of this order, proceed with his command to the vicinity of Osceola, Mo., and establish a post in the vicinity of forage, where he will remain until further orders. He will take with him his camp and garrison equipage, forty days' rations, and a good supply of ammunition. He will make all the prescribed returns from said post required by existing orders.

* * * * *

By order of Brigadier-General Sanborn:

WM. T. KITTREDGE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF KANSAS,
Fort Leavenworth, January 12, 1865.

Major-General HALLECK, U. S. Army,

Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: Your dispatch of yesterday directing me to investigate Colonel Covington's conduct toward the Indians is received and will be obeyed. Colonel Covington has been relieved by Colonel Moonlight, and is probably out of the service, under provisions of Circular Numbers 36, War Department. Although the colonel may have transgressed my field orders concerning Indian warfare (a copy of which is here inclosed)* and otherwise acted very much against my views of propriety in his assault at Sand Creek, still it is not true, as Indian agents and Indian traders are representing, that such extra severity is increasing Indian war. On the contrary, it tends to reduce their numbers and

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*See paragraph II, General Field Orders, Numbers 1, Vol. XLI, Part II,

p. 428.

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