MOUND CITY, April 18, 1865. (Received 19th.)

Colonel JOHN T. SPRAGUE,

Chief of Staff:

Telegram received. Will have a tin-clad at Cairo to-morrow at your service.

S. P. LEE,

Rear-Admiral.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, April 18, 1865.

Major General JOHN POPE,

Commanding Military Division of the Missouri:

GENERAL: As my attention has been called to the following editorial of the Missouri Democrat of the 17th instant-

We learn from the Kansas City papers, and from our correspondence from that city, that a gang of guerrillas have lately been roaming at will along the line of the Pacific Railroad east of Independence, driving the hands from their work and threatening to kill them if they return to it. It is stated that if more efficient measures are not taken for the protection of this road its completion must be indefinitely postponed. We think this is a matter for General Pope's supervision. The people in that section intimate that General Dodge is too closely interested in the railroads of Iowa (his own State) to pay due attention to the Missouri lines now extending to Kansas-

for your information I submit the following telegram, of same date, from Brigadier General J. McNeil, commanding that district:

WARRENSBURG, MO., April 17, 1865.

Major-General DODGE:

The hands on the road were driven off by one drunken guerrilla. There are five companies of infantry on the railroad and stage lines. I have moved more cavalry for the protection of the railroad. There is no reason why the work should not go on.

J. McNEIL,

Brigadier-General.

In the country through which the railroad is being built I have placed one full Regiment of infantry and a large force of cavalry, and although not justified by any instructions or orders in using U. S. troops for the protection of private enterprise, I have assumed the responsibility of giving protection to this work on account of its importance to the State. The railroad company will admit that I at all times furnished them all the assistance in the way of troops they have asked. After going over the line myself and finding no organization of the citizens I literally stripped North Missouri of troops to send into that sub-district, which now has more troops in it than any other sub-district in the State, and double the number asked for by the railroad company; but I submit that if citizen or railroad employees allow one guerrilla to drive them from their work without making any effort themselves to stop it, that all the troops I could place on the work be futile in stopping these scares. The Governor has given to the citizens of this county an opportunity to organize and arm for their own defense, but so far very little progress has been made. The officers in that district have done all in their power to protect that country, have had all the force that the railroad company considered necessary for their protection, but have not received the aid encouragement from the citizen they should. They have now succeeded in raising one company under Order Numbers 28, from these headquarters, in each county, and will in a few days have them all armed and equipped. That will place at least 3,000 troops in that district. The railroad company should organize and arm