to Saint Louis and confer with Major-General Rosecrans, and if possible procure such relief as it is in his power to give us under the circumstances in which we are placed.

On motion the meeting adjourned.

PETER EARLY, SR.,

Chairman.

JAMES C. AGNEW,

Secretary.

CARROLLTON, MO., July 27, 1864.

General C. B. FISK:

GENERAL: The undersigned committee, appointed at a mass-meeting of the citizens of Carroll County, Mo., under General Orders, Numbers 107, would beg leave to make the following report of the condition of things in this county:

We have had two raids into our country by rebel bushwhackers within the last two weeks. The first by Anderson, with a hand of twenty or thirty cutthroats, who crossed the river from Saline County in the evening, made a circuit of about twenty miles through the county, murdered nine of our best citizens, and passed out of our county into Chariton the next morning early, closely pursued by our militia. This raid startled the whole country, and the people of all parties met en masse to devise some means of redress and prevent future raids. We organized the people of every neighborhood into home guards, but found themselves in great measure without arms and almost totally without ammunition. About the same time Thornton's band made their appearance in the western part of the county and advanced about eight miles in the direction of the county seat, Carrollton. All the citizens of the county turned out to aid the small force of the militia at this post, and Thornton retreated back into Caldwell County the same night without, so far as we can hear of, seeing a man in the county, every citizen having either fled at their appearance or reported here for duty where that was practicable. Under these circumstances we think we can safely say that the whole people of this county, with the rarest exception, are utterly opposed to bushwhacking and are anxious to aid you in exterminating such bands of marauders and sustaining the authority of the Government. We are sorry to add that on the 23rd day of this month a band of men, claiming to be Union soldiers, entered this county under the command of one Captain De Bolt, and one Major Ramage, ostensibly to hunt bushwhackers (they were told by every one here that the bushwhackers had left the county), and commenced a system of indiscriminate plunder on the people of the county without regard to party, burning houses, and finally murdering one of our oldest and best citizens, insulting and abusing all classes of citizens, including our own militia. At a low estimate they have plundered the county of $40,000 or $50,000 worth of property. The loyal citizens of this county look to you for redress of these outrages and hope they will not be disappointed. The citizens are very much exasperated, but will do no act in violation of law and military order. It is but just to say that Colonel Shanklin, Major Leonard, and Captain Kelly also had commands in this county at the same time, but so far as we can learn did no act in violation of law and acted in a very gentlemanly manner toward all of the citizens. We earnestly ask that the above charges be investigated and properly punished. We also ask that you send to us a permit authorizing the companies of home guards to purchase arms, to