alry which was heretofore stationed from Wyandotte down the Kansas border has been taken away. He cannot send us re-enforcements unless it be that the remainder of my regiment can be relieved in North Missouri and sent to me. I have to abandon Hickman Mills to-day. I fear that disastrous consequences to the few loyal people there will follow. There are enough able-bodied men at the station (some forty) to take care of themselves, but they prefer to make friends with rather than fight the bushwhackers. The company now there (C), First Missouri State Militia Cavalry, has but sixteen horses. They have had no officer since Captain Jackson and Lieutenant Dudley left. They did not amount to much when their officers were with them, and were of still less use when a sergeant commanded them. I have not been able to even make an arrest with these men. The stage company is well protected down to Pleasant Hill. A company is camped on the Big Blue at the ferry, and an escort accompanies the mail coach from Independence down. I believe, however, that your idea is correct in regard to the danger of allowing a small escort to go regularly with the mail, and I shall change the arrangement. I have information of about 400 rebel soldiers and bushwhackers being in this sub-district, in La Fayette, and in the border counties of Kansas. I am trying to get the people to understand their danger, but, confound them while they growl if you don't put a guard at each man's farm and allow their accounts for damages done by the guard at each man's farm and allow their accounts for damages done by the guard, they are very slow about raising a finger to help themselves, expecting to Uncle Sam's money. I anticipate worse times this spring than even occurred before, unless we can take all the disloyal families out of the country.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHESTER HARDING, JR.,

Colonel, &c.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTH KANSAS,
Paola, Kans., February 14, 1865.

Major-General DODGE,

Commanding Department of the Missouri:

GENERAL: From Colonel Wattles, of the First Regiment Indian Home Guard, just arrived from Fort Gibson, I learn that the forces of Stand Watie, Cooper, and Gano, together with a portion of the force that lately went south with General Price, numbering in all about 7,000, are at and in the vicinity of Boggy Depot, Choctaw Nation. These forces or represented as being well mounted, and from the moist reliable information obtained it is believed that they design moving north either in force or in detachments for raids as soon as the season will admit. Statements of refugees lately arrived from Texas is that small expeditions or organizing in Bonham and Sherman, Tex., for the avowed purpose of making a raid into the southwestern portion of this State. In consequence of these facts the people of the settlements in the Neosho Valley are quite alarmed, and not without some cause. The Neosho Valley is one of the best settlements in the State, and abounds largely in valuable stock of all kinds, which is a great inducement for raiding parties, and the country through which they would pass from Red River will be well supplied with grass and water as soon as the last of April or the first of May. The forces at Fort Smith and Fort Gibson are very small and consist entirely [of] infantry; at the latter place there is nothing but Indian soldiers, which are very inefficient.