pendence. While at Wyandotte Lieutenant Hubbard, acting signal officer, was by your order appointed acting assistant adjutant-general in charge of returns. After falling slowly back, our lines were formed on the Big Blue. Early next morning I sent Lieutenant Hubbard to the extreme right of the line about two miles from the road for the purpose of making observations of the enemy's movements, and Lieutenant Neely to the left of the line, half a mile from the road, for the same purpose. The places selected by those two officers (assisted by Lieutenant Roberts) were admirably adapted for the purpose intended. Each one had a fine view of the Independence road and surrounding country and could see any and all important movements of the enemy. These two officers were instructed to report every thirty minutes, whether they had anything of interest to report or not. On account of heavy timber we could not open signal communication, and messages had to be sent to the commanding general at his headquarters on the cross-roads by courier. During the day the general rode to Westport; the signal messages, however, were regularly transmitted to him by courier. By your order copies of all messages were also sent to Major-General Deitzler, Major-General Blunt, and Colonel Blair. These stations were held all day, and the reports sent in were of great importance, as the entire movement of the enemy to our right was discovered, as was also their wagon train.

As the line was withdrawn, about dark, I received your order to report with Lieutenants Hubbard, and Neely at headquarters established at Kansas City. Next morning, 23rd of October, I sent Lieutenant Hubbard to the front, to open communication with Lieutenants Quinby and Neely, placed on top of a high house in Westport. Before communication was fairly established the enemy were fleeting, and as the general moved to the front the line was abandoned. Lieutenants Quinby and Neely, however, sent valuable observation messages to the general, as did also Lieutenant Hubbard from the front. Before daylight of the next day Lieutenant Hubbard left Santa Fe, and took position on high blue church and sent back important information; he was with the advance all this day, and until noon of the 25th, sending back such information as he could pick up. On the morning of the 26th Lieutenant Hubbard and Neely collected valuable information from different sources in the vicinity of Fort Scott, of such importance that the commanding general, as I am informed, based his orders for that day upon the information sent back by those two officers. During all these movements the other officers of the corps were used by the command general as aides.

On the 1st of November I received a verbal order from the general commanding to furnish a quartermaster detail, and in obedience to that I ordered all my men not used as orderlies to report to Lieutenant Fitch, staff quartermaster. On the 5th of November Lieutenant Quinby, acting signal officer, was detailed by your order to proceed to Saint Louis on special duty. On the 8th of November the Arkansas River was reached and the chase abandoned. During the campaign a great many observations and reports were made by the signal officers, which were given to the general verbally and of which we have no record. From the fact that we moved so rapidly, and spent so little time in any one place, no signal lines of communication could be opened, although we were always ready and anxious to do that kind of duty. The observations made on the line of the Big Blue, and at other places, proved to be reliable, and I believe gave satisfaction to the commanding general.