HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CENTRAL MISSOURI,
Warrensburg, Mo., September 10, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel B. F. LAZEAR,

Commanding Second Sub-District, Lexington, Mo.:

COLONEL: The commanding general is informed by Major-General Rosecrans that you troops are causing a reign of terror in La Fayette and Saline Counties, and that it should receive your attention. He is also further informed that their officers are permitting them to rob the people of their property for their own benefit, to murder peaceable citizens, and commit other outrages upon the people, while the pursuit of the bushwhackers is abandoned by loading the troops with the plunder from the country. The meager results reported to these headquarters would seem to confirm this statement. The commanding general directs me to say, that should the investigation, now in progress, prove that any of the people have been plundered by the troops under your command, that the pay of the officers, and, if necessary, of the soldiers, will be stopped and appropriated, so far as it will go, to refund the value of property taken from the people. He directs that you will report fully in relation to these complaints.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. H. STEGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WARRENSBURG, September 10, 1864.

Major G. W. KELLY,

Boonville:

Have your command on the alert for any guerrillas that may cross from the north side of the river. General Fisk is pressing them.

By command of Brigadier-General Brown:

J. H. STEGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS STATION,
Germantown, Mo., September 10, 1864.

Brigadier General E. B. BROWN,

Commanding District of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, Mo.:

GENERAL: I beg leave to submit the following supplementary report: On the 1st instant Captain Peery, with Lieutenant Gaskill and forty men, marched for Warrensburg, Mo., having under escort Major Mears, paymaster, U. S. Army, and forage train, returned on the 5th instant, having traveled 100 miles. On the 5th instant Sergeant Critton, Company B, First Cavalry Missouri State Militia, with ten men started in pursuit of two guerrillas that were reported to have been in the neighborhood; after making a thorough reconnaissance of Deep Water timber, returned same night without finding any enemy. On the same day a returned rebel soldier was brought to this station by his farther, Mr. Harness. He surrendered himself and expressed himself as being heartily tired of the rebellion, having deserted the rebel army in Arkansas on the 10th of August, 1864, in company with two others, who, he said, had made their way to North Missouri with the intention of surrendering themselves to the authorities as soon as they

10 R R-VOL XLI, PT III