and beyond High Hill, where they have been broken. The work on the Iron Mountain Railroad is being pushed vigorously. It will be open to South Big River by Saturday, and work is going on on five bridges at once. The work on the Southwest Branch of the Pacific Railroad having been placed under the special supervision of Colonel Myers I know but little about it. I have furnished all the details he has asked. Five companies of Second Missouri State Militia reached Pilot Knob to-night from Cape Girardeau. I am guarding the furnace at Iron Mountain and Irondale and have a garrison at Potosi. The fort is being cleaned out. Two 24-pounders are mounted ready for service, which, with the two howitzers from Cape Girardeau, will make it formidable again. Among the Confederate wounded at Ironton are 1 colonel, 1 major, 7 captains, 12 lieutenants, and 200 enlisted men, all severely, and most of them mortally, wounded. I got no report yet from Major Williams as to aggregate of Price's army.

THOS. EWING, JR.,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS SAINT LOUIS DISTRICT,
Saint Louis, Mo., October 16, 1864.

Major H. H. WILLIAMS,

Pilot Knob:

The general commanding directs that the rebel wounded and prisoners at Pilot Knob be examined and the organization and approximate strength of Price's army be ascertained and forwarded as soon as possible to-day.

H. HANNAHS,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

PILOT KNOB, October 16, 1864.

Brigadier-General EWING:

A strong force has been at work on the fort to-day. I have two 24-pounders mounted ready for service. Will you forward some ammunition to-morrow? We have some canister, grape, and shell, but no powder. Lieutenant-Colonel Basham, of Hill's regiment, was killed here at the fight, also Captains Pritchett and Craig and Adjutant Hunter, of the Eighth Missouri Cavalry, C. S. Army. The surgeon in charge of the hospital will not admit a loss of more than 300 killed and wounded, but that includes only those that were badly wounded. Citizens here all think that their loss was at least 1,000 in killed and wounded. Price's army was in four division, the right under Shelby, then Marmaduke, Fagan, and Cooper on the left. Captain Roberts, Fourth Missouri Cavalry, C. S. Army, says there were not more than 3,000 men engaged in the battle here, and that Price's whole command was about 20,000 with eighteen pieces artillery. The surgeon of the hospital says that Fagan's division and a part of Marmaduke's was engaged here. A number of rebel dead have been found unburied.

H. H. WILLIAMS,

Major, &c.