our families, and our loyal friends of La Fayette County, we do most humbly pray that this our petition may find favor with you. Since you have been appointed to this department our hopes and expectations have been strengthened, looking forward to a brighter day when Union men could return to their homes and their business. In God's holy name, dear general, let us not be disappointed. The appointment of General Pleasonton to this district was a guarantee to us that the policy of our Government had been changed in regard to dealings with traitors. The appointment of that officer, we do assure you, was acceptable to every loyal man. Your petitioners do sincerely regret to hear of his being taken from us. Our worthy and efficient friend, Colonel Lazear, now in the field, shall have our undivided support. He is a good officer, and we believe will deal out justice to all. We pray you to strengthen his hands and cause him to arrest and banish from our county the families of bushwhackers and of those who are now in the rebel army. Their places have become the habitation of robbers and murderers, and every species of outlawry, and so long as they are permitted to remain a better state of things cannot be hoped for. These fiends of hell not only are daily seeking to destroy Union men, but are confiscating their scanty family supports; our bread and meat, our bedclothing, and even wearing apparel, as well as our money, our horses, and out cattle are all, all, taken with impunity. We, the loyal citizens, claim this country as our birthright, and should have our Government on our side to protect and defend.

In conclusion, we pray you to answer our petition and cause the detestable nuisance to be taken from our county. The signers of this petition are each and every one pure and untarnished Union men; no copperheads, no pro-slavery Union men, but the "simon pure," and have been from the incipiency of the rebellion to the present moment, and are the only true supporters of the Union in this country. And we, your petitioners, shall ever pray, &c.

SAML. BREITENBAUGH,

W. H. BOWEN,

Committee.

F. COOLEY,

President of Union League.

S. F. CURRIE,

CRISPER GRIEBER,

Vice-President of Union League.

W. H. BOWEN,

Secretary of Union League.

THOMAS ADAMSON.

CHARLES B. SCOTT,

Treasurer of Union League.

W. M. N. GREEN,

Marshal of Union League.

[And forty-four others.]

KANSAS CITY, MO., September 8, 1864.

Major SMITH,

Commanding, Independence:

Sergeant Coy starts for the Blue, near Raytown, at daylight to-morrow with thirty-five men. You will send out a large party with the telegraph repairer to put up the line between your station and