the charges against whom are not more serious than entertaining secession feelings he has discharged. The arms and prisoners taken, if the men were apprehended while constituting an armed body, will be detained; all others will be restored to their rightful owners.

* * * * * *

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

[J. C. KELTON,]

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT,
Saint Louis, Mo., August 7, 1861.

Colonel J. B. WYMAN, Commanding at Rolla, Mo.

SIR: The prisoners you sent to the arsenal a few days since have been discharged. The offenses against the majority were of too trivial a character to detain them longer.

You are directed to send no more prisoners here unless prisoners of war. It is thought an unnecessary expense in transporting them to the arsenal is contracted and that no good object is effected by their detention. If entertaining secession feelings constitutes a grave offense, one sufficient to imprison a man on, the Government would have two-thirds of the State to feed at its expense.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

[J. C. KELTON,]

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES,
Cape Girardeau, August 18, 1861.

Major General JOHN C. FREMONT,

Department of the West, Saint Louis, Mo.

SIR: * * * I have the honor to inclose you a letter from ex-Lieutenant-Governor Reynolds (a copy of which has been sent me); also another from Jeff. Thompson to me containing several threats.

I plead guilty to the charge of having written the note mentioned and would have done as I promised had Captain Price committed the threatened outrages on the peaceable citizens of Commerce. My threats had the desired effect and prevented his doing any act of violence there. I tried hard to get hold of Captain Price and his troop of marauders but they always run even when but half their number of foot soldiers are opposed to them. The young man Price and his brother-in-law who were taken prisoners have been notoriously active in aiding the enemy. Their farther, the brother of Captain Price, was the agent for procuring supplies for the New Madrid forces and his mules, servants and family were all engaged in transporting them.

I am happy to learn that the pretended governor of the State disapproves of the proclamation of his commanding general and I shall most certainly endeavor to aid him in carrying on the war according to civilized usage. I can furnish the ex-governor with information which if he means what he writes will keep him steadily engaged for some time in punishing Missouri forces.

* * * * * *

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. C. MARSH,

Colonel, Commanding Post.