I sent a similar telegram to General Rosecrans and forwarded another lot of prisoners to him in charge of Lieutenant Quinby.

CONTINUANCE OF THE PURSUIT BELOW FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.

The broken lines at Fayetteville made it difficult to ascertain the route of Price's main force, and detained me nearly a day. During this delay and pursuant to your directions I ordered Colonel Harrison to join me with a portion of his force, leaving Captain Dodge's battery, which was nearly broken down, and the remainder of the garrison, sufficient in my judgment for the safety of the place, while we continued to press Price's general movement beyond. Giving Colonel Harrison the advance we moved forward on the 5th, our force now amounting to about 3,500. During the day I received a note from General Sanborn, dated the 4th, at Cassville, explaining the order of the previous day to Colonel Benteen as not being his-

Design to withdraw him from the face of the enemy or from your support but expecting him to be near Cassville, where I was expecting to be in person to-day. He will remain with you if Price is still in your front. My information is that his army has gone into the Nation. I will have positive knowledge in a day or two. General McNeil's brigade is a few miles in the rear, and will come forward at once, if there is any prospect of meeting the enemy.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. B. SANBORN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

This showed me clearly that no other re-enforcements were in supporting distance and my boldness of pursuit must compensate for want of numbers, judging rightly that the enemy would not in his flight ascertain the relation of my troops to those in my rear. Crossing the Illinois River, I camped for the night at Prairie Grove battle-ground. During the day we found plenty of cattle, which now became the only food for most of my troops. Very little forage for horses could be obtained and the country beyond was still more mormallaceous and destitute. We left Prairie Grove at daylight on the 6th, driving scattering rebels out of Cane Hill and taking and paroling a large number of sick and broken-down rebel prisoners. Price had secured supplies of cattle at this place and his troops had commenced erecting huts, with the evident supposition that he would remain some time. Colonel Benteen's scouts attacked and killed some of the enemy's scouts or rear guard, killing 2 or 3 and capturing the old flag of General Blunt's escort, which the rebels took at the massacre of Baxter Springs. Benteen lost 2 of 3 in this skirmish. We went into camp about 5 p. m. near the ground occupied by Price's forces the previous night. November 6 we made an early start, following the well-marked trail of Price's army. His camp-fires extended for miles, and I counted over 100 head of cattle that had been slaughtered and the meat distributed among his troops. We pressed forward during the day and most of the night, when we ascertained the enemy had departed westward from the Line road, taking the valley of a beautiful little stream called the Sallisaw, which bears southwest through a portion of the Cherokee Nation, halting and grazing our horses on cane and coarse grass, which we found on the valley of this stream. We were evidently close on the enemy's rear, and my order of march for the 7th was carefully arranged for battle, Colonel Benteen in advance, General Blunt's division followed next, Colonel Harrison's force followed this division, and Major Ketner, Sixteenth Kansas Cavalry, commanded escort and all that appertained to the commissary train. November 7 we started at daylight, our route leading through the woods and on by-roads in a southwesterly direction.