Kans, as also to furnish us with blankets, camp equipage, and all things necessary for the campaign, on the morning of the 14th instant we took up our line of march for that place, leaving Captain W. R. Wagstaff in command of the post. Arrived at Aubrey about 3 p.m., was informed by General Blunt that the arms and ammunition were at Oxford, where we would march next morning. In the meantime I sent a detail of men with transportation for all the arms and ammunition that could be had at the post of Olathe, and got about 5,000 rounds of ammunition, but no arms. I then ordered my command to Oxford, Kans., and still finding that arms and ammunition had not been forwarded to that place, according to the general's solemn promise, the men became demoralized, and those without arms and ammunition refused to proceed farther without them. I here was compelled to order all men without arms and ammunition back to Paola, Kans., for arms and ammunition, and marched to Hickman Mills with those who had arms, some of which were unfit for service. On the 15th instant the Sixth Regiment Kansas State Militia, Lieutenant Colonel James D. Snoddy commanding, reported to me for duty at Hickman Mills, Mo., consisting of 530 men. On the same day General Blunt transmitted to my headquarters the following general field orders:

GENERAL FIELD ORDERS,
HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, ARMY OF THE BORDER, Numbers 2.
In the Field, Hickman Mills, October 15, 1864.

The troops of the division, Army of the Border, are hereby organized into brigades as follows, to wit:

I. First Brigade, under command of Colonel C. R. Jennison, Fifteenth Kansas Cavalry, will consist of the Fifteenth Kansas Cavalry, detachment of the Third Wisconsin Cavalry, and five mountain howitzers.

II. Second Brigade, under command of Colonel T. Moonlight, Eleventh Kansas Cavalry, will consists of the Eleventh Kansas Cavalry, detachment of the Sixteenth Kansas Cavalry, detachment of the Fifth Kansas Cavalry, and four mountain howitzers.

III. Third Brigade, under the command of Colonel C. W. Blair, Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, will consist of the Fifth Regiment Kansas State Militia, commanded by Colonel G. A. Colton; the Sixth Regiment Kansas State Militia, commanded by Colonel James D. Snoddy; the Tenth Regiment Kansas State Militia, commanded by Colonel William Pennock, under the immediate command of Brigadier General W. H. M. Fishback. Kansas State Militia; Independent Battery Colorado Volunteer Artillery, and section of Second Kansas Battery. Commanding officers of regiments, detachments, and batteries will report immediately to commanding officers of brigades for further orders.

By command of Major-General Blunt:

GEO. S. HAMPTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

This order of General Blunt I considered a most wanton and uncalled for assumption of authority on his part, contrary to the spirit of the militia law of Kansas, and in direct violation of the understanding under which the militia were called out, and a gross breach of good faith toward those men who were assured they would be led by their own officers, and as Kansas militia they should be kept under the control of militia officers, the whole under the command of Major General George W. Deitzler, Kansas State Militia, an officer of great experience and tried bravery, almost the first of the sons of Kansas who sprang to arms at the call of his country, who led the First Regiment Kansas Volunteer Infantry during the first years of the rebellion, and who freely shed his blood for our common country, and one in whom all had unbounded confidence. Yet this order of General Blunt sweeps the brigade wholly from our control and places it for the time being beyond our reach. This I could not consent to without orders from the major-general of the Kansas State Militia. I immediately dispatched a messenger to