and 8 wounded, moved on to Fort Scott. Here we remained until the morning of the 27th, when we again set out in a southwest direction, reaching Spring River near Carthage at 11 p.m. making a distance of Found General, Blunt warmly engaged with the enemy. My regiment was dismounted and after marching one mile through fields found that the enemy had disappeared. It being then dark we bivouacked for the night. On the 29th marched to Spring River, thirty miles. On the 30th passed through Mount Vernon on to Little York, and on the 31st arrived at Springfield, after an absence of thirty-four days, marching a distance of about 700 miles. It would be impossible to mention the gallantry of individuals of my command without doing injustice to others. With few exceptions officers and men did their duty.

Below is appended a list of the killed and wounded in the various engagements, commencing with the battle at Boonville and ending at the Osage.*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN F. McMAHAN,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

Captain WILLIAM T. KITTREDGE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 39. Report of Major William Plumb, Sixth Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

HDQRS. SIXTH CAVALRY MISSOURI STATE MILITIA,
Springfield, Mo., November 12, 1864.

GENERAL: In compliance with Special Orders, Numbers 260 I moved on the morning of the 27th of September, 1864, with my battalion, consisting of 198 men. On the morning of the 2nd of October Captain Moore came and up reported for duty at Saint James with thirty-one men, swelling the number of my battalion to 229 rank and file. Proceeded east as far as Cuba, where we changed direction and marched directly for Jefferson City. On the evening of the 4th Private Henry J. Carter was mortally wounded by accidental shot near Vienna, Mo. On the evening of the 6th commenced skirmishing with the enemy's advance six miles south of Jefferson City. During the night fell back to the Moreau. On the morning of the 7th I was ordered by Colonel Gravely to hold the ford leading across this stream (the Moreau) at all hazards, until the Eighth Missouri State Militia should all cross to the north side. I directed Major Murphy to take a position on the bank of the stream covering the road; he there threw up temporary breast-works and made a good defense. The Eighth gradually fell back, heroically contesting every inch of ground, until the enemy's advance came in range of the guns of Fort Murphy, from which a destructive fire temporarily checked their advancing columns; they soon, however, deployed right and left, crossing the stream, and were seriously threatening my flanks, when Colonel Gravely ordered me to fall back to a line that was forming on the hill. The enemy pressed rapidly forward, pouring a deadly fire on my left flank from the brush. The order was finally given to fall back, which was done in good order. The loss sustained by my battalion in this engagement was 2 men wounded mortally, 1 severely, 1 slightly.

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*Embodied in Sanborn's table, p. 393.

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