leaders by scouting parties of Ninth Missouri State Militia near Columbia: Captain Emory, Major Wills, Captain J. D. W. Robinson, and Lieutenant Morrison, together with some important correspondence. Several privates were also captured on 25th. Captain Glaze, with a detachment of Ninth Missouri State Militia, routed a party of some 50 guerrillas, capturing 5 prisoners and a quantity of arms, horses, &c.

LEWIS MERRILL,

Brigadier-General.

HUDSON, MO., September 28, 1862.

Major H. Z. CURTIS,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

Major Woodson, Tenth Missouri State Militia, reports skirmish with guerrillas in Monroe County, routing two companies and capturing the notorious guerrilla chief, Elliott D. Major, and 13 men, with some horses, arms, and camp equipage. Major was the major of Joe Porter's gang. J. W. Menifee, lieutenant in Pendleton's bank, was captured yesterday in the cars. I am informed from what claims to be credible authority that Porter himself crossed the river last night from probably the lower had gone in that direction. It is said he had some force with him; how much is not accurately known.

Please inform General Loan, at Jefferson City.

LEWIS MERRILL,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH DIVISION, Memphis, September 28, 1862.

Major General T. C. HINDMAN,
Commanding Confederate Forces, Little Rock, Ark.:

SIR: I have just received your two letters of September 24 and 26* at the hands of Captain Chew, of your staff. Of course, being simply the commander of the United States forces here, I have no official knowledge of anything that transpired on White River last summer. I will refer that letter to General Curtis, now in Saint Louis. Nor have I any knowledge of the affair of Samuel Beanter, a citizens of Crittenden County, nor do I believe one word of it. Certainly the men of my command never do such acts as you describe. As to Lieutenant Tollisen, he was in the Irvin Block here, but escaped last week through the negligence of the guard. Had he remained he would have been tried, and, if convicted o murder, his sentence, after approval by the President of the United States, would surely have been executed. So jealous is our Government of life that no general of whatever rank can inflict the punishment of death except by sentence, after approval by the President of the United States, would surely have been executed. So jealous is our Government of life that no general of whatever rank can inflict the punishment of death except by sentence of a general court-martial, and that must be approved by the President of the United States. You know the laws of Congress as well as I do.

Now, whether the guerrillas or partisan rangers, without uniform, without organization except on paper, wandering about the country plundering friend and foe, firing on unarmed boats filled with women and children and on small parties of soldiers, always from ambush, or and children and on small parties of soldiers, always from ambush, or where they have every advantage, are entitled to the protection and

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*Not found.

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