SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF KANSAS, Numbers 3.
In the Field, Fort Larded, July 31, 1864.

I. Colonel Price, with the best men and horses of his command, and such porion of select men and horses as will report from the command of Colonel Scott, and a detachment of Colorado cavalry, under Captain Jacobs, with light rations and no wagon transportation, will cross to the south side of the Arkansas and move down to the station known as the Little Arkansas Station, sending out detachment or moving his entire force, as occasion may seem to require, against Indians on the headwaters of Salt Creek and Red River.

II. Colonel Scott will select a portion of his best men and horses to join the command of Colonel Price, and with the remainder of his command move down on the north side of the Arkansas River, scouting the country on his left, and moving, with the artillery which will join him, so as to admit of easy concentration with the force of Colonel Price, who moves on the south side of the river.

III. Captain Booth, with his battalion, will move north toward the headwaters of Smoky Hill until he gets northwest of the Smoky Hill Crossing, and thence east to Fort Ellsworth or Smoky Hill Crossing, and finally, unless otherwise ordered, uniting with other forces at the crossing of the Little Arkansas. He will keep out front and rear guards and flankers on all sides, varying his movements to attack Indians as circumstances may require.

IV. The commander of this post, Captain Backus, will establish a post at or near the Cimarron Crossing, in command of a competent officer, and also re-enforce the post at Walnut Creek-Fort Zarah. He will have a general supervision of these two posts, which will also report direct to department and district headquarters, as designated in General Field Orders, Numbers 2. He will also send a detachment of at least 100 men under Captain Jacobs to report to Colonel Price and accompany him in his movements on the south side of the Arkansas.

V. All this distribution and movement of forces will be made forthwith.

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

KANSAS CITY, July 31, 1864.

Major General S. R. CURTIS:

From the best information that I can get Quantrill with 400 or 500 men, raised from La Fayette, Johnson Jackson, and Saline Counties, are concentrated at Texas Prairie, southwest of Lexington, preparatory to making a raid somewhere, he says, into Kansas. I leave for Independence immediately.

JAS. H. FORD,

Colonel, Commanding.

(Same to General McKean.)

MOUND CITY, July 31, 1864.

Colonel C. W. BLAIR,

Fort Scot:

News brought in from Barnesville that the guerrillas got in there and south of the Osage one hour before sunup this morning. All the troops