miles to the Big Blue River during the night; and I take this occasion to say that Colonel Winslow not only handled his brigade in splendid style, but his troops themselves equal to any service they were called on to perform. This brigade being very much worn down by this night's fighting, Brigadier General E. B. Brown was ordered to move his brigade forward and attack the enemy at daylight and keep pushing him vigorously, as he would be well supported. Not finding any attack being made I went to the front. I found Brown's brigade on the road so disordered as to be in no condition for fighting, and General Brown himself had made no preparations to carry out my order. I immediately arrested him, and also Colonel Mcferran, of the First Missouri State Militia, whose regiment was straggling all over the country, and he was neglecting to prevent it, and placed Colonel Philips, of the Seventh Missouri State Militia, in command of Brown's brigade. The night previous, at Independence, I had ordered General McNeil to proceed with his brigade from that point to Little Santa Fe, and to reach that latter point by daylight. General McNeil failed to bey this order, but came up to the Big Blue, some five of six miles above the point at which the rest of the division was fighting, about 12 m. on the 23d, and instead of vigorously attacking the enemy's wagon train, which was directly in front of him with but little escort, he contented himself with some skirmishing and cannonading, and the train escaped. The rebel General Marmaduke stated after he was captured that had McNeil attacked at this time they would have lost their whole train. I trust that this conduct on the part of General McNeil will meet the marked disapprobation of the major-general commanding, as it has mine. Finding that General Brown had not attacked the enemy on the morning of the 23rd of October at the Big Blue, I immediately ordered Winslow's and Philips' brigades into action, with sanborn supporting, and after a very obstinate battle the enemy were driven from their position to the prairie on the Harrisonville road beyond the Big Blue. It was then about 1 o'clock in the day, and the enemy, in very heavy force, were fighting the Kansas forces at Westport, under General Curtis. My appearance on the prairie caused them to retreat from before Curtis on the Fort Scott road, and in passing they formed to attack my position. A brigade of their cavalry charged the right of sanborn's brigade and shook it considerably, but I ordered up six pieces of artillery, and by means of double-shotted canister soon caused them to halt and finally beat a hasty retreat. Soon after this Generals Blunt and Curtis overtook me in pursuit, and it was agreed that my forces should take the right of the Fort Scott road, while theirs took the left. This was done, and headquarters were made at Little Santa Fe that night. The next morning, by agreement, General Curtis' command took the advance, and mine followed, until we had marched to West Point, where, finding the enemy were at the Trading Post, on the Osage River, General Curtis requested me to move to front with my troops. I did so, and attacked the enemy at daybreak on the morning of the 25th of October, shelling his camp. he left in great haste, dropping trees in the road to bar our progress, and fighting a running contest to the Osage River, where his main force was posted, awaiting us. The rapidity of the march was such that but two brigades, Winslow's (then commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Benteen) and Philips' brigades, with a small part of Sanborn's, had reached the front, but knowing the importance of time to the enemy I did not hesitate to attack at once, and after a brilliant charge by both brigades the enemy was routed. Eight

22 R R - VOL XLI, PT I