spies, and are to be treated accordingly. While giving your principal attention to Price's army, the general desires that you use, north of Springfield, your spare militia and such a portion of your force as is weakly mounted and unfit to follow Price, in intercepting the straggling bands that will endeavor to work their way south through your district.

FRANK S. BOND,

Major and Aide-de-Camp.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DIST. OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI, Numbers 290.
Springfield, Mo., October 31, 1864.

* * *

VIII. Colonel John S. Phelps, commanding the Seventy-second Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia, will, upon receipt of this order, distribute the companies of his regiment at different points through the district, as far as possible in the various localities where the several companies were raised, respectively. He will instruct commanding officers of companies to keep their commands on constant duty, scouting the country thoroughly, capturing bushwhackers,and intercepting small rebel bands moving south from North Missouri, and damaging the enemy to the utmost extent possible. Attention is called to the following extract from a dispatch just received from the department headquarters:

The general commanding desires to call your attention to the fact that guerrillas are outlaws, and rebel soldiers dressed in our uniforms are spies, and are to be treated accordingly.

Colonel Phelps will issue instructions to his command in accordance with the above. Ten days' rations and 100 rounds of ammunition will be taken by each man, and the several companies will be ordered to move immediately.

* * *

X. Captain Allen, commanding company Forty-sixth Missouri Volunteer Infantry, will, without delay, move with his command to Mount Vernon, Mo., and remain at that post until further orders, keeping scouting parties out constantly, and reporting to Colonel John D. Allen, commanding at that post. He will take with him his camp and garrison equipage, fifteen days' rations, and 100 rounds of ammunition per man. All prisoners will be taken to the provost-marshal at Mount Vernon, Mo.

XI. Major George W. Murphy, Sixth Cavalry Missouri State Militia, commanding post at Newtonia, Mo., will, upon receipt of this orders, send one or more commissioned officers and 200 men from his command to Neosho, with instructions to hold that post during the absence of Major Burch. If the whole available force is less than 400 men only one-half of it will be sent to Neosho.

XII. Major Burch, commanding battalion Eighth Cavalry Missouri State Militia, will, upon being relieved by a detachment from Newtonia, move with his entire command to Keetsville, Barry County, Mo., and there await further orders, either from the general commanding or from Colonel Gravely. He will take with him fifteen days' rations, if possible, and 100 rounds of ammunition per man.

XIII. Major Moore, commanding battalion Seventh Provisional Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia, now at Mount Vernon, will, upon