his outer pickets, drove them in, capturing their good hot supper, just prepared at a hospitable farm house. We steadily drove the pickets, constantly increasing in strength, for two miles, where I found the enemy had several regiments in camp and seemed disposed to resist stubbornly my farther advance. Disposing the command so as to secure it against ny movement the enemy might attempt on me under cover of the darkness, I pressed forward two battalions of the Fourth Missouri State Militia to annoy and punish the enemy. The night was so dark and the enemy's position so well taken, it was found difficult and hazardous to approach him, without incurring more danger to my own men than I could reasonably hope to justify in any success to be had in a general onset. I therefore contented myself with keeping up a brisk and alarming fire on the enemy's camp from 11 p. m. to 2 a. m. with the two battalions, while the remainder of the command slept quietly beyond range. The enemy, however, was kept up in force and in line much of the night. Leaving these battalions to demonstrate on the enemy, I quietly withdrew the brigade and rejoined the division at 4 a. m. on the Tipton road. Colonel McFerran had, prior to my arrival with the remainder of the brigade, come upon several bands, a hundred strong in some cases, chasing and firing on and wounding quite a number and capturing some horses and arms. My entire casualties through the night were, 1 man, William Wiley, private, Company G, Seventh Cavalry Missouri State Militia, killed, and 2 men Fourth Cavalry Missouri State Militia captured. I have since learned that we wounded quite a number of the enemy, some of whom died.

I cannot in this connection refrain from expressing my admiration of and wonder at the temerity of that generalship which enabled our division commander, with a force of less than 5,000 cavalry, to hang for two nights and one day on the enemy's rear, front, and flank, threatening, attacking, and seemingly investing an army of 15,000 or 20,000 men. The military strategy thus displayed was as splendid as the boldness of design was magnificent in execution.

On the 12th we were compelled to fall back to California for rations. Returning on the 13th to the theater of operations it was found the enemy had left Boonville and moved west. We followed briskly, passing through Palestine and Bell Air, and encamped for the night at Nebo Church. On the 14th we marched at 4 a. m., via Pleasant Green, Cole Neck, and Georgetown, and encamped for the night on the Basin Fork of Blackwater, having marched forty-three miles that day. On the 15th I sent heavy scouting parties north through Brownsville and moved the brigade fourteen miles to vicinity of Cook's Store, La Fayette County. Here we remained until the 17th. In this time I sent heavy reconnoitering parties toward Waverly and Grand pass, driving in and skirmishing with the enemy's flanking parties and gathering much valuable information. On the 17th I dropped down the road toward Georgetown about twelve miles, and went into camp on the Bee Branch, a tributary of the Blackwater, throwing out parties of observation to the north, it being understood the enemy were in that direction in camp, and sending Lieutenant-Colonel Crittenden to Georgetown after a commissary train made up for the use of the division. It was here I learned that Captain O. B. Queen, Company M, Seventh Cavalry Missouri State Militia, sent to Sedalia on the night of the 15th after ammunition, was found at that town with his squadron by the rebel forces under Jeff. Thompson when they captured the place on the 15th. Captain Queen, supposing it was [the duty] of the militia forces to defend it, very properly placed his command behind the improvised