The militia of Kansas behaved nobly and saved their State from devastation. Colonel Blair's command on this occasion was mainly Kansas State militia and he reports his movements as follows:

Pursuant to General Blunt's orders I formed my brigade on the high grounds south of Westport, overlooking a little creek, the southern acclivity of which was covered with a dense growth of timber and underbrush. After the line was formed and the artillery in position I dismounted the militia, leaving every sixth man to hold horses, and pushed them through the timber to the front, where I formed them behind a fence and in front and on the left of the Fifteenth Kansas Cavalry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hoyt. Before us was an open field, on the other side of which was the enemy in considerable force and strongly posted behind a stone fence, which formed an admirable cover. We were partially protected by the edge of the timber and a rail fence. Firing was kept up rapidly and heavily for half an hour, the enemy being held firmly in check, but I attempted no advance, as I did not know whether our flanks were cleared or not. In a short time the Fifteenth retired, in obedience to orders, and very soon after I received an order through Colonel S. J. Crawford, of the staff, to fall back to my first position. Accordingly I marched to the rear, through the timber and formed immediately on the north bank of the creek without going clear back to my original position. * * * A rumor reaching me that the enemy was attempting to flank my position on the right, and fearing to await for orders lest it might be accomplished I dispatched a messenger to General Blunt to inform him of what I was doing, and hastily threw my line up into the dense timber on my right, twice its own length, and then pushed it steadily forward, At this time I received orders from Major-General Curtis to make the movement which I had already commenced. Thus reassured, I moved forward as rapidly as the thick undergrowth and broken ground would permit until I came to the edge of an open field and formed a junction with Colonel Hogan's regiment, which had been sent forward from a different direction. A heavy fire was here opened on us from a corn-field which stretched from our right front, and which seemed filled with skirmishers, and from a large brick house in an orchard just beyond, in which a party of sharpshooters was stationed. In a few minutes several of our men had fallen, and the fire was incessant and close. I immediately ordered the right of the brigade forward and drove the enemy from the corn-field and house, while the left of the line kept straight forward through a stubble-field on their flank. About half a mile to the front the cavalry and artillery came out the road on our left and we joined the line, relieving Jennison's cavalry from its position in support of McLain's battery. We then commenced driving the enemy steadily before us, and from then until his retreat became a rout it was as much as my dismounted men could do to keep up with the artillery. As soon as the heaviest of the action was over I sent details back to bring up the horses, and pushed forward with my own dismounted men and artillery.

The colonel makes honorable mention of many of the militia officers, and very justly commends the conduct of the Kansas militia for their good conduct during the day, for all which I refer you to his entire report, which, with all from which I make extracts, and many more, are respectfully submitted.

Major S. S. Curtis, Second Colorado, who, with a small detachment, went in search of General Pleasonton early in the day, returned at night, reporting General McNeil's operations which came to his notice:

About 10 a. m. I was ordered to take a squadron of the Second Colorado, commanded by Captain Kingsbury, and proceed via Independence to General Pleasonton's command and inform him of the position and operations of General Curtis. I went within one mile and a half of Independence, where, finding I was far in the rear of General Pleasonton's command, I turned south, and striking the Independence and Hickman Mills road I followed it until I came up with General McNeil's brigade, which I found drawn up in line of battle on a ridge, with a number of dismounted men in the valley in front of them. On the opposite side of the ridge to the south about three-fourths of a mile distant the enemy were deployed and still deploying. Some artillery firing was progressing when I came up, which continued for several minutes thereafter, but as the enemy continued to deploy troops and was endeavoring to flank us on both sides, General McNeil ordered the command to fall back about half a mile. I could hear nothing from General McNeil of General Pleasonton's whereabouts, and concluded he must have passed between me and the Big Blue. As I had ridden hard for some fifteen miles, and the squadron showed some signs of fatigue, I rested there for about two hours and then struck almost due west on a by-road which brought me to the Big Blue at the Westport ford, where there