guard the stores and fort at that place. Colonel Catherwood will keep himself well advised so as to intercept any raiding movement of rebels in the direction of the line of communication between this post and Springfield. The entire command will be supplied with thirty days' rations. Captain E. B. Grimes, assistant quartermaster, will furnish the necessary transportation.

* * * *

10. Colonel E. C. Catherwood, commanding Thirteenth Cavalry Missouri Volunteers, will order one company of his command to move at once to Saint James and relieve the detachment of Fifth Cavalry Missouri State Militia now at that place. On arriving at Saint James the officer in command will order a detachment of fifteen men under command of a lieutenant to the Saint James Iron Works and relieve the detachment of Fifth Missouri State Militia stationed at that point. On being relieved by detachment of the Thirteenth Missouri Cavalry, the commanding officer detachment Fifth Cavalry Missouri State Militia will move with his command to Rolla and report for orders to his regimental commander.

By order of Brigadier-General Brown:

J. H. STEGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DISTRICT OF CENTRAL MISSOURI, Numbers 8.
Warrensburg, Mo., February 18, 1865.

I. The following-named staff officers of the district having been mustered out of service on account of expiration of their term of service or to receive promotion are hereby relieved from duty: Captain A. R. Conklin, acting assistant adjutant-general and judge-advocate; Lieutenant E. P. Bigelow, assistant commissary of musters; Major R. P. Richardson, medical director.

II. The following-named officers are announced as composing the district staff, and are assigned to duty accordingly: Major James Rainsford, Missouri State Militia, assistant adjutant-general; Lieutenant E. F. Ward, Seventh Cavalry Missouri State Militia, aide-de-camp; Lieutenant W. C. Gantt, Forty-third Missouri Volunteers, judge advocate; Captain Joel K. Shaw, assistant quartermaster of volunteers, chief quartermaster; Major J. R. Moore, chief commissary; Major Thomas J. Montgomery, medical director; Captain Benjamin H. Wilson, chief of ordnance; Major Henry Neill, chief of cavalry; Captain Charles H. Thurber, district inspector; Captain R. L. Ferguson, district provost-marshal; Lieutenant T. S. Smith, assistant commissary of musters; Lieutenant H. P. Dow, acting depot ordnance officer; Chaplain R. A. Foster, superintendent of refugees. They will be obeyed and respected accordingly.

JOHN F. PHILIPS,

Colonel Seventh Cavalry Missouri State Militia, Commanding District.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., February 18, 1865.

Honorable Abraham LINCOLN,

President of the United States:

DEAR SIR: I hope you will excuse the boldness of one as humble in life as the one now addressing you on as grave a question as I now do. We want protection, and come to you as a loyal subject of the Government of the United States, and one that have borne our part in toils