detachment from the Sixth Missouri State Militia, comprising 95 men, under command of Captain Turner,* and guides, making a force of 303 men, started from Batesville at 9 a m. on the 23rd day of January, 1864, and took up the line of march on the road leading northeast to Hookram. The command marched in the following order: First, the scouts and 25 picked men and horse as patrols and advance guard; fifty paces in rear of them the reserve of the advance guard, in number 40 men. The main column of four companies First Nebraska Cavalry and the Sixth Missouri State Militia in rear followed, with distance of 150 paces from the reserve of the advance guard.

At Curia Post-Office, 12 miles distant from Batesville, the advance guard saw a number of horses tied near a house in the woods. They charged and surrounded the building, which was then occupied by members of a Masonic lodge. Most of the members had taken the oath of allegiance and some of them were personally known to me as loyal citizens, and the command did not further interfere with their meeting. The march was continued in the same order except that Company I was detailed as rear guard. At 4 p. m. the command halted, the horses were fed, and the men cooked their rations, when the march was resumed at 5.30 o'clock and continued until 7.30 p. m. When the column was within 1 1/2 miles from Evening Shade, or Hookram, I sent the advance and reserve on a by-road to take post in rear of the town and after the position was taken the command dashed into town, one party taking the left the other the right hand road, and so completely surrounded the town and every house and searched after a party of rebels which were reported to have been in the place the preceding day. All the information I obtained there was that a fellow called Captain Adams had about 75 men in company with him, and had before encamped on a hill near Brushy Creek, about 6 miles northeast from the place. The command started in that direction and was halted 2 miles from town (marching in all 27 miles day that) to give the horses rest and forage. At 12 midnight two companies were sent to the camp-ground of the rebels, 4 miles distant, and returned at 5 a. m. January 24. They found the camp abandoned, the rebels having left it the day, before and marched toward the Salem road. At 6 a. m. the command moved in the same order as before, with advance flankers and rear guard toward Franklin Post-Office, on the Salem and Batesville road. The flankers met 2 armed rebels, who ran off. They were pursued, and 1 of them was mortally wounded, and upon being questioned stated that Freeman was collecting a force near Lunenburg to attack Batesville, and had already assembled a force of 800 men.

At Franklin Post-Office I learned that Captain Adams had taken the military route toward Yellville the day before; and also that Colonel Freeman was concentrating his bands for a raid into Batesville, which induced me to hunt up the rebel force under his command.

At 1 p. m. the command halted for one hour to feed horses, and then marched to Lunenburg, arrived there at 5 p. m., having marched that day 28 miles. During the day some prisoners had been taken for running in the woods and not giving an account of their actions and homes. The column started next morning at 5 a. m. toward Mount Olive, on White River. Two companies were

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*See Turner's report, p. 67.

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