say that I most cordially accept the proffered aid in maintaining peace and quiet in those portions of North Missouri bordering on the Iowa line. In sending your State or other forces into Missouri be pleased to intrust their command to discreet and prudent officers, who should be directed to keep me advised of all their operations and who should inform me frequently of all matters of interest or importance connected with the condition of that region. It is not my purpose to make arrests for opinion's sake but rather to force the people through this section to keep the peace among themselves and to keep open their own lines of public communication. It is impossible that the Federal Government can employ for any length of time so large a force merely to protect public works against destruction by those for whose benefit they were built, and it is my purpose to offer such inducements to the citizens of this State as will be sufficient to secure their own active agency in protecting their lines of railroad and other works public convenience or necessity. I have published a notice to the people along the line of the North Missouri Railroad which I intend also to apply to the Hannibal and Saint Joe road based on these views, a copy* of which I herewith transmit. As I shall enforce the penalty to the letter I hope to see god results follow before many days. Your active interference in North Missouri will I fear be very shortly necessary and in a stronger force than you suggest. The unfortunate repulse of our forces at Manassas has aroused the whole secession element in this State to renewed activity, and intelligence received this morning from Saipelled me to suspend for the present further movements of the troops from this place in the direction of the Hannibal and Saint Joe road.

It is by no means improbable that I may be obliged within a few days to move the whole force in North Missouri into Saint Louis to protect that city from civil and bloodshed, and in that case I shall call upon yourself and Governor Yates to replace them by State forces. I will communicate further with you in a day or two when affairs have assumed somewhat more definite shape.

I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN POPE,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding in North Missouri.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTH MISSOURI,
Mexico, July 24, 1861.

Major General J. C. FREMONT,

Commanding Department of the West, Saint Louis, Mo.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that I reached this point to-day with the forces from Alton and assumed the command in North Missouri in compliance with your instructions. Everything is quiet and the road unobstructed. I transmit inclosed my proclamation+ issued on the 19th instant, together with a public notice* which will explain itself. There seems to be no method of protecting the lines of public communication in this State and of preserving the peace except by forcing the population to understand that they peril their own safety of persons and property if they commit or allow to be committed without opposition any outbreaks against the law, and I have accordingly endeavored by such means as seem to me most efficacious to enlist the active agency of the population in the preservation and good order. The persons to whom the charge of the various districts of the

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* See "Notice," p. 189.

+ See p. 187.

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