forage there, and if taken receipts will be given by the officer, to be taken up and settled by the quartermaster at Pilot Knob on proof of loyalty of the one in whose favor it is given. By sending men in citizens' clothes to watch for him he could be caught.

By order of Brigadier-General Ewing:

H. HANNAHS,

Major Fiftieth Missouri Volunteers and Actg. Asst. Adjt. General

HDQRS. THIRD SUB- DISTRICT OF SAINT LOUIS,
Pilot Knob, Mo., March 14, 1865.

Major H. HANNAHS,

Saint Louis, Mo.:

The detachment for Sainte Genevieve left on the 12th instant. I have had several parties after the guerrillas (Hilderbrand and his gang) about Farmington. As yet no success. Have sent for 150 horses, as per orders.

JOHN L. BEVERIDGE,

Colonel, Commanding.

SUB- DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS,

Cape Girardeau, Mo., March 14, 1865.

Major H. HANNAHS,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Saint Louis, Mo.:

I started from this post for Bloomfield on the 28th of February for the purpose of making arrangements to commence building the fortifications there. Upon my arrival there on the 1st of March I sent Captain Campbell with fifty men into Dunklin county, with orders to conscript every able- bodied citizen of that county and bring them to Bloomfield to work upon the effort, in accordance with the instructions that I had received through You headquarters. Captain Campbell found the county full of guerrillas, and I had to re- enforce him. During his march through the county he killed nine guerrillas, including Captain Howard, the leader of them. He also captured eight horses. On the 11th Captain Cambell returned from Dunklin County and brought up with him over 100 able- bodied citizens. After consultation with Colonel D. F. Tiedemann, in charge of fortifications there, I informed the citizens that they would each be required to do thirty days' labor on the fort, and could do part of the work now and part after they had their crops planted. I took this course for the purpose of interfering as little as possible with the farming interests of the country. They were all well satisfied with the arrangement, and went to work earnestly. They express themselves anxious to have a fort built at Bloomfield and willing to assist in building it. A number of the most extensive farmers of the county were anxious to make arrangements to pay out or hire substitutes. There were a number of men about Bloomfield lately discharged from the service, whom it would have been injustice to press into service, who were willing to work on the fort for wages. Believing it to be beneficial to all parties, I gave those that desired it permission to deposit $50 each with Captain William W. Campbell, Company D, Fiftieth Missouri Volunteer Infantry, for the purpose of hiring substitutes. Upon receiving captain Campbell's receipt I gave the parties who had thus paid him $50 an exemption from duty on the