OFFICE PROV. March General, DEPT. OF THE MISSOURI,

Saint Louis, April 23, 1863

Respectfully forwarded and submitted to His Excellency Governor Gamble, whose attention is called to the indorsement of General Curtis.

F. A. DICK

Lieutenant-Colonel and Provost-Marshal-General.

SAINT LOUIS, April 24, 1863

I do not know what part of this communication produced its reference to me. If that relating to female rebels, I would send them down the river to Dixie. If that concerning the paying the commutation tax by the Enrolled Militia, I can only say that, by special message, I warned the Legislature of the effect of the act, and urged upon them that if they would exempt men for money they ought to make the sum so large as to pay another for doing the service. I am trying by orders to remove or diminish the evil.

H. R. GAMBLE.

SAINT LOUIS, May 6, 1863

Respectfully forwarded to headquarters, for the information of the General-in-Chief. The reference to Governor Gamble was not to complain of him, but to present the facts that relate to the Enrolled Missouri Militia, and the effect of the new law which has entirely unsettled the militia organization just at a season of the year when they are most needed.

SAML. L. CURTIS,

Major-General.

[Inclosure Numbers 2.]

HEADQUARTERS SAINT LOUIS DISTRICT,
Saint Louis, Mo., April 27, 1863

[General CURTIS:]

MY DEAR GENERAL: Now that our troops have been successful, and Marmaduke's attempts repelled, there will, no doubt, be a great deal of talk about the whole matter.

I desire, as you have been blamed for withholding troops from the armies, to explain the state of affairs. When I took command of the district (embracing, as it does, the camp of instruction), New Madrid had one regiment at it; Cape Girardeau had four companies of the Thirty-second Iowa and one company of the Second Missouri Artillery at it; General McNeil was in the field with only his own regiment; Pilot Knob had two companies of the First Missouri State Militia, Smart's regiment of cavalry, and one battalion Thirteenth Illinois. There were no antennae out; no troops at Patterson, nor at Barnesville, nor Centreville. Within as little time as possible, the First Nebraska Infantry was sent to Cape Girardeau; McNeil was re-enforced by the First Wisconsin Cavalry and Welfley's battery; Smart's regiment was put on outpost duty at Patterson and the Thirteenth Illinois Cavalry at Barnesville. The Twenty-Fourth Missouri Volunteers, by your order, re-enforced the Knob, and our affairs were in a position to meet attack. If these precautions had not been taken, and the Twenty-fourth Missouri and First Wisconsin of General Vandever, I leave it to any soldier to say where the enemy might have been, if bold and persistent enough in his advance.

I am, general, most respectfully,

J. W. DAVIDSON,

Brigadier-General.

18 R R-VOL XXII, PT II