F, there to reconnoiter and keep me advised of any appearance of them there. Making a night march from near Miami night before last, I dropped in upon them (the guerrillas) in the vicinity of Dover yesterday morning; found quite a number of them in this vicinity, say from forty to sixty. We had two skirmishers, killing 3 and capturing 4 horses. Lieutenant Miller, Company A, returning from Lexington on the 19th, had a skirmish with a party of nine, capturing 4 horses, and we since learn wounded 2, one said to be mortally. We saw a party of twenty-two from Dover just at night, who from what I can learn went west up Tabo. I am having the county from Dover to Waverly thoroughly scouted again to-day, and unless they fall back east i will to-morrow morning scout up Tabo, Davis' Creek, and along the river, moving west, making Greenton Valley by Wednesday next at farthest. Owing to scarcity of feed and water it is a very hard time to scout, having often to go out of our line for feed and water, making delays in our movements. There are no persons here that we can rely upon for information but negroes. I forward a small rebel flag which was captured, or dropped rather, by a guerrilla in one of the skirmishers yesterday. Our loss so far none, and health of the command generally good, but a great many horses in bad fix.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

B. F. LAZEAR,

Lieutenant Colonel First Cavalry Missouri State Militia, Commanding.

Captain J. H. STEGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Warrensburg, Mo.

Numbers 3. Report of Major George W. Kelly, Fourth Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

HDQRS. DETACH. FOURTH CAV. MISSOURI STATE MIL., Chapel Hill, La Fayette County, Mo., August 17, 1864.

COLONEL: I would respectfully report to you that on the morning of the 15th instant I sent Sergt. I. E. Wood, of Company C, Fourth Cavalry Missouri State Militia, with fifteen privates of same company, on a scout southeast of this station. After scouting the country some ten miles in that direction, struck a trail of six guerrillas, followed them some two miles, and found that they had left the road and taken the brush; dismounted six of his men and sent them in the brush on the trail. After following it some half mile or more the six men surprised the six bushwhacker, charged on them, and succeeded in capturing 6 horses; two of the horses were shot in the skirmish and could not be brough in. The four horses I send in charge of sergeant. The brush being so thick the guerrillas made their escape, two of them wounded, one in the back and the other in the leg, leaving their hats behind. The guerrillas are making their appearance east and south of here in small bands, from six to twelve in a gang; from what I can learn, Quantrill, Todd, Poole, &c., with their bands, are in east of here some twelve or fifteen miles. I have two scouts out now, east and southeast of here.

Colonel, I would be glad if you would get the general commanding to send me Captain Joe Parke, with Company E, Fourth Cavalry Missouri State Militia. I have but one commissioned officer here who is suit-

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