The rapid movements I have briefly enumerated saved every pound of portable stores of the Government, its animals and transportation, leaving their portion of the army in the best possible condition to take part in a vigorous campaign against the army of the enemy. The troops and citizens vied with each other in their efforts to put the city in a state of defense, and all deserve the thanks of the major-general commanding, but the energy displayed by the Forty-ninth Regiment Missouri Volunteers, Colonel D. P. Dyer commanding; the Forty-fifth Missouri Volunteers, Colonel T. A. Switzler commanding; Colonel Frank Hickox, Forty-third Enrolled Missouri Militia, all the members of my staff, but especially Captain Edward L. Berthoud, topographical engineer, assisted by Lieutenant Thomas H. Macklind, Third Missouri State Militia, who volunteered his services as topographical engineer, I am under great obligations. I desire to express my special thanks to citizens F. H. Nitchey, who volunteered his services as a topographical engineer, and to whom was assigned the duty of superintending the defenses at the east end of the town, for the effective manner that the work was performed. In conclusion, I desire to report that to the energy displayed by the citizens and soldiers, who with a few rude tools in a few days (part of the time in the midst of a heavy storm) so surrounded the capital with a line of impregnable works against the army of the enemy, is the State indebted for its safety the Government for the protection of its stores, garrison, and munitions of war.

I am, very truly, your obedient servant,

E. B. BROWN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Colonel JOHN V. DU BOIS.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE,
In the Field, October 24, 1864.

COLONEL: I have the honor to report, for the information of the major-general commanding, that on the receipt of his order of the 22nd instant to move this brigade to the front, I pushed rapidly forward, passed the commands in my advance through the town of Independence, on the Westport road, and when about a mile out I met the enemy. The First Missouri State Militia was dismounted and moved forward in the center, and orders were sent to the Fourth Missouri State Militia to form on the left, and the Seventh Missouri State Militia on the right, both dismounted. It was soon reported to me that the two latter regiments had not come up. This left the First Missouri State Militia alone to engaged the enemy, but the ground was held against a largely superior force for three-quarters of an hour. In the meantime I sent repeated orders to the rear to find the missing regiments, and after nearly an hour's delay they were brought forward, having been stopped in Independence through Colonel Cole, chief of artillery, he having halted the artillery attached to the brigade, and with it, necessarily, the two regiments that were in rear and supporting it. While this part of my command was halted, two companies of the Fourth Missouri State Militia had been detached to remain in Independence on temporary service. I was not informed that these two companies had been detailed or that the two regiments and artillery had been halted at the rear. As soon as they were brought forward, and two mounted squadrons of Colonel Winslow's brigade which had