NEW MADRID, MO., August 7, 1864.

Have been out seventeen days with a battalion of the Second Cavalry Missouri State Militia, under Lieutenant- Colonel Hiller; detachments of the Second and Third, under Major Wilson, and of the First and Sixth Missouri Cavalry Volunteers, under Captain Preuitt. Have skirmished with guerrillas and bushwhackers in Mississippi, Stoddard, New Madrid, Pemiscot, and Dunklin Counties, Mo., and Greene and Mississippi Counties, Ark., killing considerable numbers of them. Had quite a brisk running fight at Osceola, Ark., on the 2nd instant, with Bowen's and McVeigh's companies,of Shelby's command. We captured their commander. On the 4th, at Elk Chute, we fought the Second Missouri (rebel) Cavalry and Conyer's, Guthrie's, and Darnelle's bands of guerrillas, all under command of Colonel Cowen. We routed them completely, killed and mortally wounded about 30, slightly wounded (who escaped in the swamps as I am informed by prisoners subsequently captured) between 30 and 40, and took 28 prisoners. We lost Captain Francis, Third Cavalry Missouri State Militia, mortally wounded, and 2 others slightly wounded. We have killed in all full 50 rebel soldiers and bushwhackers, including 1 captain, 3 lieutenants; wounded between 30 and 40 that we know of, and took prisoners 57, including 2 captains. We also captured full 200 stand of arms and over 200 horses and mules.

JOHN T. BURRIS,

Lieutenant- Colonel, Commanding Expedition.

Brigadier- General EWING.

HDQRS. SECOND SUB- DISTRICT, SAINT LOUIS DISTRICT,
Cape Girardeau, Mo., August 8, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that on the 21st of July I moved from New Madrid, Mo., with a battalion of the Second Cavalry Missouri State Militia, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hiller, and a detachment of the First Cavalry Missouri Volunteers, commanded by Captain Preuitt. From the 21st to the 26th we were engaged in scouting the counties of New Madrid, Mississippi, and Stoddard. We routed several parties of bushwhackers during the time, killed 4 of their number, burned a distillery and a grocery at which they were accustomed to meet, and captured some arms and horses. Being joined at Bloomfield by Major Wilson, with a battalion of the Third Cavalry Missouri Volunteers, we moved on different roads, in a southwesterly direction; crossed the Saint Francis River just below Chalk Bluff, and arrived at Scatterville, Ark., on the evening of the 28th. There we routed a rebel recruiting party, under Colonel Clark, and had a skirmish with Bolin's guerrillas. We killed 1 rebel lieutenant, took Captain Lineback prisoner, captured some arms and horses, and burned the houses, under cover of which the guerrillas had fired on my command. No casualties on our side, except the wounding of E. T. Jenkins, chief scout. On the 29th we moved to Brown's Ferry. On the 30th marched south through Clarkson and Kennett. On the 31st passed through Hornersville. On the 1st of August we marched through the swamps and along Big Lake, in a southerly direction. During the day we surprised a party of bushwhackers and thieves; captured some arms; recaptured some negroes and horses previously stolen by these marauders, and burned