Missouri State Militia and Thurber's First Missouri State Militia Battery, to Otterville, and thence to a point 8 miles from Boonville, on the Boonville and Georgetown road (McGruder's), where I arrived at dark. My scouts reported before daylight next morning, "No signs of the enemy west of Boonville." Believing that he had heard of my approach, and had turned to the east, I moved at daylight 5 miles east, to a point 8 miles south of Boonville, with a view to be able to support Lieutenant-Colonel Lazear, if necessary, or intercept the enemy should he turn east. At the same time I dispatched a small force, under Lieutenant Houts, Seventh Missouri State Militia, toward Boonville, with orders to drive in the advance of the enemy if he should be moving southwest, and give me the earliest information of the direction in which he was moving. Lieutenant Houts met and attacked the enemy's advance, killing 1 and mortally wounding the commanding officer and 2 others. Learning that the enemy had moved southwest from Boonville, followed by Colonel Lazear's command, I marched back to the point I started from, advising Colonel Lazear that I would move on a line parallel with and 2 miles south from his column. The country here was very broken and hilly, with narrow gorges covered with dense brush. To prevent the enemy holding us in check with a small force, I ordered my command rapidly forward, crossing the La Mine at Salt Spring, above the mouth of the Blackwater, turning north, crossing that stream, and attacked his rear guard, forcing the enemy to make a stand, where a sharp fight commenced. I pursued the enemy closely, Lazear now following in my rear Jonesborough, a point 9 mils southwest of Arrow Rock and a about the same made a stand, and opened with musketry and artillery. We fought him until dark, in the midst of a drenching rain. The men were ordered to rest on their arms, occupying the original battle-field, during the night. The enemy lost 16 killed and a number wounded, one man of Thurber's battery, killed, being the only casualty on our side. Here I was joined by Lieutenant- Colonel Lazear's command, my united forces consisting of the Seventh Missouri State Militia. Colonel J. F. Philips; detachment of the First Missouri State Militia, Lieutenant Colonel B. F. Lazear; Fourth Missouri State Militia, Major George W. Kelly; Fifth Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia, Major William Gentry; Ninth Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia, Captain W. D. Wear, and four small guns of Thurber's First Missouri State Militia Battery, numbering about 1,600 men.

At 3 a. m. of the 13th, I ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Lazear to march with his command, by a road to the left, direct to Marshall. At daybreak I marched in the enemy's trail toward the Arrow Rock and Marshall road, and thence toward Marshall. The enemy attacked Lieutenant-Colonel Lazear at 8 a. m. near Marshall, the latter occupying the town. I arrived on the filed about 9.30 o'clock. Finding the bridge and ford across Salt fork disputed by about a regiment of the enemy, Majors Suess and Houts, Seventh Missouri State Militia, with three companies and tow pieces of Thurber's battery, engaged them, and covered the crossing of the main force about three-fourths of a mile below, attacking the enemy on his left flank, while Major Suess, after crossing the bridge, attacked them in rear. The enemy soon gave way, and, on being hard pressed, broke in every direction, losing his best piece of artillery, a 10-pounder, the main body retreating toward Miami, Colonel Philips taking up the pursuit, fighting him to a point 6 miles south of Miami and 10 miles from Marshall. Here Colonel Philips bivouacked during the night, following the enemy to the Missouri River, and thence south through Waverly next day, capturing all of his transportation, ambu-