accordingly done. On the east on the main road which I had been moving on during the day, I placed a picket-post of four men. Knowing the pickets to be posted, I gave orders for the men to feed their animals and get supper for themselves. After partaking of supper I lay down to rest. The men, however, were not done supper, it being then 8.30; about an hour after going into camp. Having lain there for a few moments, I was startled by the explosion of a gun-cap. I immediately jumped up to find out the cause, and ordered the men under arms and to be ready should occasion require it, but before the order could be obeyed it was discovered that a party of the enemy had come upon us, wading and cutting off the picket-post of four men posted on the blind wagon road leading through the plantation, the enemy coming in from two directions, viz, northwest and northeast. They were on foot. As to their number it is impossible for me to tell-the next day, however, in going through a swamp, I saw about 100 of them, all mounted. They patrolled the road from the plantation to Bayou Corn from the time we were attacked until 10 o'clock next day, as I tried several times to get across Bayou Corn during that time, but failed, and did not get across until a party of the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry appeared, when the enemy left. I would state here that the attack was so sudden and unexpected-having been told by every one that no enemy was in the neighborhood, especially by the authorities at Napoleonville-that some of the men did not have time to move out of their place before they found themselves prisoners. Being outnumbered and surprised, we saw the only chance of escaping was to leave everything and get away as fast as possible the best way we could. The following is the list of men, horses, &c., lost and captured: One lieutenant, 15 enlisted men, 28 guns and accouterments, 29 horses and equipments.

Hoping the foregoing report may prove satisfactory, I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

AARON McFEELY,

Captain, Commanding Company G, Sixteenth Indiana.

Captain FREDERIC SPEED,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

AUGUST 31, 1864.-Affair at Steelville, Mo.

Reports of Brigadier General John McNeil, U. S. Army, commanding District of Rolla.

ROLLA, MO., August 31, 1864.

E. G. Evans, deputy provost-marshal at Cuba, reports the robbing of Steelville this morning at daylight by Lennox's gang. A Baptist preacher named Butler was mortally wounded and the town plundered.

JOHN McNEIL,

Brigadier-General.

Captain F. ENO,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

ROLLA, MO., September 2, 1864.

On the morning of day before yesterday as the gang of bushwhackers left Steelville they met five militia coming in to join their companies and killed every one of them.

JOHN McNEIL,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Captain FRANK ENO,

Assistant Adjutant-General.