Information from a reliable source forces the conviction upon me that the agreement into by General Harney and yourself is at present null and void. Preparations are now being made for a crusade on Missouri. To defend her laws and liberties I pledge you the force under my control.

Being strangers to each other any instructions you may desire to convey to me touching the matter you can send to any of your friends who will find me at the Everett House in this city.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. KIDD.

HEADQUARTERS MCCULLOCH'S BRIGADE,
Camp on Buffalo Creek, Mo., July 5, 1861.

Honorable L. P. WALKER, Secretary of War.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit the inclosed report detailing an account of the taking of the town of Neosho, Mo., by a part of my brigade and of the surrender to them of eighty men with their arms, &c. I am now within about twenty-five miles of the governor of them State who I learn has been fighting his way to me during the day. I will push a portion of my force (now nearly 4,000 men) as near to him as possible to-morrow and do all in my power to relieve him. It will depend upon his fate what my future movements may be. My great object in coming into the State has been to relieve the governor and the force under him. I will again inform you of my whereabouts in the course of a few days.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

BEN. McCULLOCH,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS McCULLOCH'S BRIGADE,
Camp at Barlin's Mill, July 5, 1861.

Brigadier General BEN. McCULLOCH,

Commanding Brigade, Camp on Buffalo, Creek, Mo.

GENERAL: I have the honor to inform you that in obedience to your orders I started at 11 a. m. to-day with four companies of Colonel Churchill's regiment of Arkansas Mounted Riflemen and Captain Carroll's company of Arkansas State troops to make an attack upon some Federal troops at Neosho, Mo., in conjunction with Colonel Churchill, commanding six companies of his regiment. We started on different roads which entered the town-one from the west, the other from the south-with an arrangement to make the march of sixteen miles in four hours and upon entering the town to make a simultaneous attack. I found that the distance was not so much as stated. It would therefore be necessary for me to have waited near the town an hour, and rearing that information would be carried into town to the enemy I determined to attack at once and made my arrangements accordingly. I dismounted the four companies of Churchill's regiment about a quarter of a mile of the town and marched them by platoon at double-quick within 200 yards of the court-house, where we found a company eighty strong. I sent Captain Carroll with his company to make a detour and to take them in rear.