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358 Series I Volume XLI-I Serial 83 - Price's Missouri Expedition Part I

Page 358 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.

about 1,500 prisoners. Among the latter were Major-General Marmaduke and Brigadier-General Cabell, and a number of colonels and other officers of a lesser rank.

The following comprises the officers of this command killed and wounded: Lieuts. John D. Mullins, Allen W. Christian, James L. Combs, Columbus Dale, Walter B. Hamilton, James H. Bryson, and Frank Barkley, and Capts. William D. Blair and Abram B. Vansickler.


Numbers 17. Report of Colonel James McFerran, First Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

WARRENSBURG, MO., November 7, 1864.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that pursuant to your orders I marched with my command of five companies, on the 25th day of September last, from camp on the Sni, eight miles southwest of Lexington, leaving Company M at that place, and arrived at Sedalia on the 26th, where I was joined by Major Mullins' battalion and Company K, and remained until the 29th and marched for Jefferson City, arriving there on the 1st day of October, when I was joined by Company B and remained until the 2nd, and then marched to Mike Clark's Ford, on the Osage, with 200 men to guard that and other fords against the advance of Price's army. No enemy appearing I was ordered back to Jefferson City on the 5th, and at 5 a. m. on the 7th took position with my regiment in the rifle-pits on the extreme left of the defenses of the city and remained there during the fight and until Price's army had passed. On the 8th I joined other troops in the rear of Price's army, and on the evening of the 9th was present at the fight with his rear guard at California. On the 10th marched by way of Tipton and camped ten miles south of Boonville. On the 11th, by order of General Sanborn, I was sent with my regiment to reconnoiter the Boonville and Georgetown road to ascertain whether the enemy had moved west from Boonville or not. Found the road strongly picketed by the enemy and drove the pickets in; shortly afterward two squadrons, under the command of Major Mullins, charged a party of the enemy numbering about 100 who were marching on the road toward Boonville and dispersed them. No casualties on our side; loss of the enemy not ascertained. After an examination of the road, and exhausting all sources of information, I became fully satisfied that no portion of the rebel army had moved west, and immediately sent a dispatch to General Sanborn to that effect and returned the same night to General Sanborn's camp, having raveled about twenty miles and completed the reconnaissance as directed. On the 12th marched to California after subsistence, and on the 13th returned to the Georgetown road and encamped about fifteen miles southwest of Boonville, Price's army in the meantime having moved to Saline County. On the 14th the command marched by way of Georgetown and encamped about eighteen miles west of Sedalia on the Lexington road. On the 15th marched to the vicinity of Cook's Store, in La Fayette County, and camped. On the 16th I was ordered by General Sanborn, with my regiment, to reconnoiter in the direction of Waverly, and if necessary visit that place to ascertain the position and movements of the enemy. I marched my regiment to the vicinity of Waverly and obtained the desired information. The sun was setting when we turned toward camp, twenty miles distant. Price's army, 20,000 strong, lay in and below Waverly. What seemed to be a large cloud of dust to the east and passing to our rear


Page 358 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.