swore to the usual parole, the officers pledging their honor, and promising to give to each of those paroled a certificate that I had paroled them. When my report of the expedition shall be written I will give all the particulars.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

M. JEFF. THOMPSON,

Brigadier, General, Missouri State Guards, Commanding Shelby's Brigade.

Numbers 94. Report of Colonel Sidney D. Jackman, Jackman's Missouri Cavalry, commanding brigade.

HDQRS. JACKMAN'S Brigadier, SHELBY'S DIV., ARMY OF MO.,
Clarksville, Tex., November 30, 1864.

SIR: I beg leave to submit the following report of the operations of this brigade from the 20th of August last to the present time:

This brigade on the 20th of August last was encamped near Batesville, and consisted of the regiments of Colonels Hunter and Coffee and my own regiment, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Nichols, and the battalion of Lieutenant-Colonel Schnable, its entire strength being about 1,500. Of this force about 500 men were armed with either guns or pistols or both. On the 19th of August I received orders from Brigadier-General Shelby to move with the armed portion of my command to Fairview, in the State of Arkansas, and there form a junction with Colonel Shanks, commanding brigade. At an early hour on the morning of the 20th I set my command in motion, moving about 500 armed men. We reached Fairview in the evening of that day, when I reported to the brigadier-general in person. On the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd we moved with the entire force by slow marches in the direction of the Memphis and Little Rick Railroad, and encamped in the evening of the last day thirteen miles from this road.

At daylight on the morning of the 24th I again moved out my command, and after marching in common time for five or six miles I was directed by General Shelby to detach Colonel Hunter with his regiment and send him on a road intersecting the railroad at a point some ten miles west of Devall's Bluff and east of Ashley's Station, where he intended to strike the enemy, and move up the remainder of the command at a brisk trot. Marching in quick time I soon reached the edge of the prairie and found Colonel Shanks already engaging the enemy. I immediately deployed into line on his right, but before any part of my brigade became engaged the enemy, numbering 150 men, surrendered. After the capture of this force by the direction of General Shelby I fell back to the timber and formed on the left of the battery for its protection. At 2 p. m. I received orders to move upon and capture the force occupying Jones' Hay Station, on the railroad. On reaching its vicinity I found it already partially invested by the forces respectively commanded by Colonel Hunter, Lieutenant-Colonel Erwin, Major McDaniel, and Captain Williams. I formed a line fronting the enemy, with my right resting on the left of Lieutenant-Colonel Erwin and my left in the direction of Colonel Hunter's right, but with a considerable interval between the two. Upon learning the situation I sent a flag by the hand of Major Beard and Lieutenant Mills, of my staff,