men they broke the guns. Our boys then went to the house of a Union man in the neighborhood, and a young lady ran out and met them, and told Lieutenant Leis that she had just left a house near by, not over a quarter of a mile off, where I think a Bolon lives, and that 6 strange men were there when she left. Lewis immediately went to the house and every person had left the house; it was entirely alone. He could find nothing of them. He looked about and found a revolver, some caps and lead, and 3 or 4 pounds of powder, all of which he has brought in.

He had also got track of another bad man by name of Wingate. He knew from union people what kind of a man he was, and Lewis also learned that Wingate had bought a new revolver and that he was a dangerous man. This Wingate, on seeing our forces coming, took his revolver and put for the brush. Lewis did not know this, but on coming up the house, he asked for the revolver and Mrs. Wingate said she knew nothing of it. Lewis told her she must produce the revolver and show them where Wingate was or they would burn the establishment out. They found a man at this place by name of McDonald, and the lieutenant asked him about rebels, and about where Wingate could be found. The man was very insolent and refused to tell anything. The lieutenant gave orders for a rope to be procured and if this man would not tell about where Wingate was he should be hung. This frightened him so badly that he told them that Wingate had gone, with his revolver, to the brush, which is just as it was. They searched for arms at this place and found three old rifles and one new U. S. musket, complete, with cartridges, boxes, belts, and all this property was taken and turned over to me. Lieutenant Lewis and men say this is extent of damage done, and that no plundering has been allowed on the part of any of the men. I instructed him to go out and catch those bushwhackers, if possible, and to feet his horses and men on rebels and sympathizers, as they were the cause of the present trouble, and must now come into Abraham's bosom, and help to stand the expense of putting down the revelation and clearing the country of these desperadoes.

I am anxiously waiting to assess the damages on these rebels to pay for the losses of our loyal people at Laclede. i have their bills made out, and their affidavit attached certifying as to their respective losses. Some men, unless they are helped, will be broken up entirely, as they took over $1,000 from one man; and the man Crowder, who was killed, leaves a wife and several children dependent entirely upon charity. The other lady is in rather better circumstances. On one of the bushwhackers found next day they found some $514.80; this was divided before I arrived at Laclede between the ladies who had lost their husband, by vote of soldiers and citizens. Those same men are prowling about in this county, and we cannot catch them while they are so well supplied with friends who feed them and keep them posted. I know many who do this, but the evidence is not reliable in Missouri as it comes through a negro source. Those men which our men visited in the edge of Livingston were all noted rebels, and Lieutenant-Colonel Swain knows them to be so, although he regards them as law-abiding citizens. I have expected that his friends might be treated in a way not pleasing to them, they have been so long protected by the Government and have tried to make themselves obnoxious to Union men, falling back on their Paw Paw certificates of enrollment, or their oath