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145 Series I Volume XLVIII-I Serial 101 - Powder River Expedition Part I

Page 145 Chapter LX. SCOUT FROM WARRENSBURG, MO.

in the meantime and ordered me very rashly to regather that herd. I told him that it was utterly impossible. He said it had to be done. My men being very tired and their horses extremely jaded, they refused to go, but finally I started with the three men who helped me drive the herd at first, and two more of my men that crossed the river, and lotted between sixty and seventy head at the Nevins pen, about one mile south of the Arkansatify upon honor that the above statement is correct.

CHARLES O. DAVIS,

Chief of Scouts.

Lieutenant Colonel F. W. SCHAURTE,

Commanding Third Brigade, Third Division, Seventh Army Corps.

MARCH 19-23, 1865. - Scout from Warrensburg to Columbus, Mo., with skirmish near Greenton.

Report of Lieutenant Rush G. Leaming, Seventh Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

CAMP GROVER, March 24, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to report that in compliance with Special Orders, Numbers 3, dated headquarters post, Warrensburg, Mo., March 19, 1865, I left Camp Grover with a scout of thirty men, moving north on Lexington and Warrensburg road to Davis' Creek; thence west, scouting the country well to the head of Davis, at which place we found sings of bushwhackers having fed in the woods near a Mr. Hamlet's, whose son is in the brush and was seen in that immediate neighborhood the night before by a Union man. Said Hamlet had on his farm five shod horses in good condition, also one double-barreled shotgun, loaded, which was used (he affirmed) in shooting will geese. I brought in this gun and took from him one horse to replace a U. S. horse that had become very lame. Hamlet said he had not seen his son for many weeks and had forbid his coming to his house or having anything to do with the family. From the headwaters of Davis' Creel I continued west across a small prairie by the way of Hopewell, striking the timber south of Chapel Hill, scouting through it; thence north (leaving Chapel Hill on the west) up Greenton Valley, and while in the timber some six miles south of Greenton, near Hook's farm, I came upon five bush whackers. we immediately fired on them, ran them out of the timber across an old fled, where they returned the fire, crossed the road, and entered the thick brush. The ground here being very miry I dismounted a part of the command, sent them after the bushwhackers afoot, and taking seven of the best mounted men, I moved around the north point of the woods to cut off their retreat into the Snibar Hills. Before reaching their regular crossing-place I saw them enter the timber north. Followed them some five or six miles, but found it impossible to catch them, as their horses were fresh and ours partly ridden down before we came onto them. After the dismounted men had returned to their horses five more bushwhackers came up the road the first farm started immediately in pursuit, ran them into the woods south of the farm, but could not get a shot at them. I then moved up the valley to the town of Greenton, where I was expecting to meet a scout from

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Page 145 Chapter LX. SCOUT FROM WARRENSBURG, MO.