INDEPENDENCE, October 18, 1864.

Major-General CURTIS:

Dispatch received. Colonel Ford will send for supplies to-day. No news from the front. Major Smith not returned. Colonel Ford has sent scouts out on the Warrensburg, Lone Jack, and Lexington roads. If Price is coming this way as indicated in your dispatches yesterday, we ought to feel him within twenty-four hours.

GEO. W. DEITZLER,

Major-General, Kansas State Militia.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE BORDER,
Camp Charlot, October 18, 1864--1.40 p. m.

General DEITZLER:

It is the most extraordinary thing in campaigning that we cannot get news from the Lexington scouts. Send forward every hour a few men till somebody returns intelligence. I have halted Blair near Westport till news is received, not wishing to go the wrong way, and knowing that forage is hard to get at Independence. Ten thousand rations have started.

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE BORDER,
Camp Charlot, October 18, 1864.

General DEITZLER,

Independence:

A regiment marching from Atchison, under Colonel Tracy, came as far as Leavenworth, and started back to Atchison. I ordered it to halt. The colonel says he is under orders from some commander. Have you given such an order, and why?

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

INDEPENDENCE, October 18, 1864.

Major-General CURTIS:

The only orders given by myself to militia of Northern Kansas are in general orders issued at Fort Leavenworth. Major Smith has returned. He left Lexington last night at 5 p. m. Largest rebel force that had been in Lexington was between 400 and 500, mostly bushwhackers; only a few of Price's men, who formerly lived in that town; these all retired as Major Smith entered the town. One was killed and 2 wounded. Intelligent citizens of Lexington report that Price, with 8,000 men, was within thirty miles of Lexington last Thursday, and moved south. Nothing further was known then of Price's army, nor of Blunt's or Pleasonton's, nor any other Federal forces south of the river. General Mower's cavalry, 1,500 strong, reached Richmond, eight miles north of Lexington, last night. He has also 6,000 infantry and some artillery, which will come up this morning. Mower will probably cross the river at Lexington. The telegraph is so badly destroyed that Major Smith did not have time nor material to repair it. I will be in Kansas City to-night.

GEO. W. DEITZLER,

Major-General, Kansas State Militia.