Third Brigade, consisting of detachments of the Sixth and Eighth Missouri State Militia Cavalry, Sixth and Seventh Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia, and the Second Arkansas Cavalry, under command of Colonel J. J. Gravely, of the Eighth Missouri State Militia Cavalry. The artillery (six guns), Captain thurber commanding, was attached to the division generally to act under my orders. The First Brigade, Colonel Philips commanding, already in motion, was ordered to continue its march on the Jefferson City and Springfield road toward Versailles and Warsaw and the Second and Third Brigades were ordered forward along the line of the railroad toward California and Tipton. Before I left Jefferson City artillery firing was heard in the direction of the Springfield road, and soon after I received a dispatch from Colonel Philips informing me that the enemy had made a stand at the crossing of the Moreau, occupying a very strong position, and that artillery was needed to enable him to carry this position without serious loss. The Second Arkansas Cavalry had already been sent to his support, and I immediately ordered the rest of the Third Brigade, Colonel Gravely commanding, with one section of Thurber's battery, tot urn off from the California road, and move forward to the support of Colonel Philips. The enemy retired from the Moreau before the arrival of Colonel Gravely, with some loss in killed and wounded, leaving about seventy horses abandoned on the field. No loss was sustained by my command. The First and Third Brigades and one section of artillery bivouacked on and near the Moreau that night, and the Second Brigade, with three sections of artillery, at Gray's Creek, about ten miles from Jefferson City, on the California road.

At daylight on the 9th the entire force of the enemy moved forward rapidly ont he Springfield road toward Versailles from its place of bivouac east of Russellville, the Third Brigade moving in pursuit. The Second Brigade moved across by a neighborhood road from the California road to the Springfield road and advanced to the support of the Third Brigade, already engaged with the enemy's rear guard. The enemy resisted the advance of the column strongly with a heavy line of dismounted skirmishers and strong reserves while passing through the heavily timbered country east of Russellville. The entire Third Brigade was immediately formed in line, with a line of dismounted men as skirmishers in front, and the other brigades moved forward in support. The enemy, on account of the timber and formation of the ground, was able to resist the advance of our skirmishers to such an extent that it was deemed proper to charge with a mounted force through the enemy's line of skirmishers and attack his reserves. This was accomplished by a detachment of the Sixth Missouri State Militia Cavalry, under Lieutenant R. B. Riggs, Company K, Sixth Missouri State Militia, and the enemy retreated rapidly through Russellville, leaving several dead on the field. My loss in this affair was Lieutenant R. B. Riggs killed and - wounded. Lieutenant Riggs was a most gallant officer, and fell within five yards of the enemy's reserves, which he was charging so vigorously. The Seventh Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia, deployed as skirmishers, and the Sixth and Eighth Cavalry Missouri State Militia, which were also engaged, behaved most gallantly. This cleared the road to the open prairie, on which the enemy's columns and trains were plainly visible within artillery range. When my advance emerged from the woods artillery was immediately opened upon the flying columns, which continued to move forward toward Versailles until it had passed every road turning to the right toward California but one, viz, the road at High Point. This movement of the enemy