are required. We captured 3 horses from the guerrillas, and killed 1 of them, and have had several skirmishes this week with them, but so far have not amounted to much. That is the reason why I have not reported. They took breakfast at Lieutenant Watkins' yesterday morning. General if I am ordered to Liberty the Union men will all have to leave their places, for it will not do for them to remain. I send you Colonel Barr's letter. I shall remain here until Lieutenant Watkins returns from seeing you. Never such a time was there in Ray County before as at the present.

Hoping you will let us remain in Ray County,

I am, general, your most obedient servant,

CLAYTON TIFFIN,

Captain Company C.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS ENROLLED MISSOURI MILITIA,
Richmond, Mo., August 5, 1864.

Captain TIFFIN:

Yours is at hand with order inclosed. I cannot see why you should be ordered to Liberty when the assassin's knife is pointed at the vitals of every Union man in Ray County. Not a loyal man dare go home, for their houses are nightly watched by bushwhackers who are prowling about to murder them. Richmond is full of citizens who have been driven from their homes, and my office besieged by more pale faces than I ever saw. The county is overrun with guerrillas and if you leave Knoxville all the Union men will be murdered. What force I have here are continuously in pursuit of them, leaving me barely enough to hold the town. Why the authorities at Saint Joseph will order you away when Ray is so much exposed I cannot tell. What to do in the premises I am unable now to suggest, unless you could prevail on some one to go to General Fisk and state the facts. If he would give us more arms we might spare you, but under present circumstances it cannot be done without great injustice to the loyal people of that section of the county. I will write a letter to General Fisk to-morrow giving him an account of things here and urge upon him the importance of leaving your command here. I have a commission to raise U. S. troops for twelve or six months. I prefer a regiment of six-months' men. For this section perhaps twelve-months' men would be best. Can't your whole company be turned in? We are in great excitement here, killing some rebel every day. It is almost impossible to control the men. Old John Walker was shot to-day.

Yours, in haste,

A. J. BARR,

Colonel, Commanding Fifty-first Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia.

HDQRS. EIGHTH MIL. DIST., ENROLLED MISSOURI MILITIA.

Mexico, August 5, 1864.

Brigadier General C. B. FISK,

Saint Joseph, Mo.:

GENERAL: In looking over the field of operations in my district and the force I will likely have to operate with, I have come to the following conclusion, viz: That it would be advantageous to the service to change the destination of the First Iowa Cavalry from Mexico to Stur-