HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI,
Springfield, Mo., May 9, 1865.

Major-General DODGE,

Saint Louis:

Your dispatch is received. I am getting all the mounted troops into the field that I possibly can. No band has gone through this district, except that one of thirty about a month since, that has now been broken up and nearly destroyed, and that one had three men killed in Vernon County. Our drovers from here who have spent the winter in Saline and Cooper Counties say that quite a large number of these men have spent the winter there, and many have gone up through the Nation and along the Kansas border. This I am trying to stop.

JOHN B. SANBORN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DIST. OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI, No. 119. Springfield, Mo., May 9, 1865.

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2. Colonel John D. Allen, commanding Fifteenth Missouri Cavalry Volunteers, will immediately upon receipt of this order organize a detachment of 100 mounted men, properly officered, to operate continually in the field until further orders, in the border counties, the Indian Nation, and Kansas. The commanding officer will be instructed to move and operate with the sole view of striking and destroying all bands of guerrillas and rebels moving north or traversing the country in any direction. Rations will be forwarded for Colonel Allen to this command from time to time as they may be needed. The commanding officer will move to such positions and cover such country as will be most likely to be traversed by the rebel bands moving. In organizing this detachment no post will be reduced below one-half of its present force.

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By order of Brigadier-General Sanborn:

WM. T. KITTREDGE,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

MACON, May 9, 1865.

General DODGE,

Saint Louis:

Captain Shapley, Seventeenth Illinois Cavalry, returned from a scout in Boone and Callaway last night, and reports the country pretty thoroughly invested by the bushwhackers. The organization of companies under General Orders, No. 3, had been much retarded by our not having the line officers required by General Orders, No. 28, to superintend the recruiting. If 500 cavalry soldiers could be sent into the district for a month's or six weeks' service it would lift us out of trouble and save us hard work in latter part of summer. Will send 100 men of the Ninth Cavalry down into Callaway County.

W. T. CLARKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.