picket could be easily captured, and no one would be any wiser for it until too late. The general suggests that you send a gun-boat into Lake Palourde and have a thorough reconnaissance made of the shore, with a view of learning more of the topography of said shore and landing places.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

P. J. MALONEY,

First Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., March 22, 1865.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:

SIR; I have the honor to transmit inclosed* for your information printed copy of a correspondence between Governor Fletcher of Missouri and myself, on the subject of an attempt to restore civil administration in portions, at least, of the State of Missouri, His Excellency's proclamation based thereon, and my instructions to the military in the case. I also transmit duplicate copies of these papers for the use of His Excellency the President. Of course, there will be found a few men of the extremists in this State (who live, however, principally in the cities and large towns) who prefer the reign of military force, because and so long as they can use it against their opponents; but I have talked freely with men of character and influence from the interior of the State, and especially those members of the radical State convention from the most disturbed of the interior counties, and have found them almost without exception in favor of the effort to do away with martial law. They believe that their own active exertions, sustained and aided by military force for a time, will be amply sufficient to defend themselves and secure the execution of civil law. Of course, the few who are opposed to any attempt to restore the dominion of civil law will make the greatest clamor in public. Those who are in favor of the change are not likely to be as active and demonstrative, especially at Washington, as the malcontents. It is the natural misfortune of the Administration rarely to be able to hear any party except the "opposition" from departments so remote as Missouri. You will perceive from my order inclosed that the whole responsibility of inaugurating measures to secure a return to civil administration is devolved upon the governor of the State, who is entirely in harmony with my views on the subject, and as he is the governor nominated and elected by the radical party, among a few of whom only is any opposition made, it is not likely that any step will be taken not approved by a majority of that party. Any clamor or influence brought to bear at Washington by extreme members of the radical party, can therefore be safely referred for action to Governor Fletcher, who is the representative of that party, and whose course will be guided doubtless by the opinions of a majority of that party. It is my own purpose to refer all complaints, protests, or objections against any steps taken to carry out the policy marked out in the inclosed papers to Governor Fletcher, who, sustained by a majority of his own party, and by all other parties in the State,

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* See Fletcher to Pope, March 2; Pope to Fletcher, March 3; proclamation by the governor of Missouri, March 7, and General Orders, Numbers 2, Military Division of the Missouri, March 10, pp. 1060, 1070, 1115, 1141.

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