JANUARY 21-25, 1864.-Scout from Waldron to Baker's Springs, Ark., and skirmish.

Abstract from Record of Events on return of the District of the Frontier (Colonel William R. Judson, Sixth Kansas Cavalry, commanding) for month of January.

January 21.-Captain E. A. Barker, with 100 men Second Kansas Cavalry and 40 men Sixth Kansas Cavalry, left Waldron, Ark.; marched toward Baker's Springs, Ark., where he surprised Captain Williamson's band of guerrillas, killing Williamson and 5 of his men, wounding 2, and taking 2 lieutenants and 25 men prisoners. On his return captured 1 lieutenant and 1 private. Distance traveled, 172 miles. Prisoners taken, 3 lieutenant and 26 men. Federal loss, 1 enlisted man killed and 1 wounded. Lieutenant C. J. Williams, Second Kansas Cavalry, also wounded.

JANUARY 23, 1864.-Affair at Cowskin Botom, Newton County, Mo.

Report of Captain Milton Burch, Eighth Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

NEOSHO, MO., February 1, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to inform you of a scout I made in the Seneca Nation on the 23rd of January. I learned by one of my scouts that there was a squad of rebels in the Seneca Nation, and on marched 18 miles through the woods to avoid the rebels getting any information of my approach; halted until 2 a. m., 23rd; then moved to where I supposed I would find the enemy, and about an hour after sunrise I came upon 10 of them at a house. I had 6 men in the advance, which I had charge of. I made a charge on them, killing 2 of them and wounding several; the balance dispersed in the thick brush in Cowskin Bottom. One of the men we killed was a deserter from the Sixth Kansas Regiment, and was a lieutenant in Stand Watie's command. The other man was also one of Stand Watie's men, a half-breed. The deserter's name was Harden Talifaro.

I think there are some 50 bushwhackers in the Seneca Nation, or in that vicinity. They do not stay all together, but are in small bands. I am going to make another scouting the nation before long, but I cannot take many men with me, for it would not be safe to do so. I am confident I can whip 50 of them with 25 of my men. It is a great place for guerrillas to hide in the Cowskin Bottom.

Since my command has been reduced to one company I will have to be on the alert. I will have scouts out all the time southwest, which will enable me to learn of any approach of the enemy in force. In relation to forage, we are getting full rations of corn and about one-third rations of hay. I think I can obtain forage enough to subsist my company until we can work on the grass. I wish you to call the attention of commanding general to the large number of citizens that are absent from the border counties, and from what I can learn would come back if they had any encouragement to come. It would be great advantage to the State for the loyal families to come back and repair their farms and raise all the grain they can.