eled 25 miles. Captain Burris and 52 started on scout the 21st; returned same day; traveled 35 miles. March 26, started out two scouts; one, under command of Captain Burris, of 33 men, returned the 27th; traveled 40 miles; one, under command of Sergeant McClanahan, Company C, of 14 men, captured 1 horses, killed 1 horse, captured 4 revolvers, 3 shotguns, and 1 carbine, all in Jackson County; returned 27th; traveled 40 miles. March 29, started 40 miles. March, 29, started out two scouts. One of 20 men, under command of Captain Moore, killed 1 guerrilla (supposed to be Bledsoe), captured 1 horse and 2 revolvers in La Fayette County; returned 30th; traveled 50 miles. One, under command of Captain Jackson, of 27 men, returned the 30th; traveled 50 miles. Aggregate number of miles traveled by the different scouts, 240 miles. Scouting done on horseback and by dismounting one-half the men and sending them through the brush where too thick to ride.

MILTON BURRIS,

Captain Co. I, First Cav., Mo. State Mil., Commanding Detach.

Colonel JAMES McFERRAN,

Commanding First Cavalry, Missouri State Militia.

MARCH 21, 1864.-Affair at Velasco, Tex.

Report of Captain W. S. Hernandon, C. S. Army, commanding post.

HEADQUARTERS POST, Velasco, Tex., March 22, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that about 4.30 o'clock yesterday the blockader, a schooner-rigged propeller, passed up to the eastward some 3 miles from the forts and then came back, just out of the range of our guns, with the wind and sea, and opened fire on the steamship Matagorda, which was still aground. She fired 4 shots from a Parrott gun, all passing over the vessel and exploding some distance to the rear. The enemy then passed to the eastward again, not being able with so much wind and sea to fire going up, and the second time came down within range of both our batteries. The enemy fired 3 shots; one of them, a shell, exploded within a few yards of the Matagorda, one exploded so near Doctor Seeds that he was covered with cinders smoke, and a solid shot knocked down a horse at he bridge on the bayou. Our guns shot remarkably well, since 6 shots from our batteries came very near, some went over, some, a little short, glanced (ricochetted), and I think struck the vessel, and a 32-pounder shell, thrown from the Velasco side, exploded directly over the vessel of the enemy, which drew the gunners from their guns and the men from off the deck, and the vessel remained in an unmanageable condition for about ten minutes, when she backed out to sea without firing any more. The enemy came to anchor about 3 miles out. There were 7 shots fired by the enemy and 15 shots by our batteries.

To-day is a beautiful day for the enemy to fire at the steam-ship, and certainly will during the day. A three-masted vessel passed here going westward last night. The steamer Matagorda's crew all