Today in History:

631 Series I Volume XLI-IV Serial 86 - Price's Missouri Expedition Part IV

Page 631 Chapter LIII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.


SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. THIRD DIV., 16TH ARMY CORPS, Numbers 103.
Saint Louis, Mo., November 20, 1864.

I. It having been officially reported at these headquarters that the troops of this command are committing nearly every species of crime, including murder, robbery, assault and battery, destruction of private property of peaceful citizens, together with other offenses of minor importance, it is hereby ordered that every enlisted man of this command be kept in camp, excepting orderlies, and that a sufficient guard be at once established to secure the execution of this order. Brigade commanders will be held strictly responsible for the execution of this order.

* * *

By order of Colonel David Moore:

JAMES B. COMSTOCK,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

FAYETTEVILLE, ARK., November 20, 1864.

Brigadier-General SANBORN,

Commanding District of Southwest Missouri:

GENERAL: I understand that the Saint Louis papers give accounts of Generals Curtis and Blunt fighting at Fayetteville and mention nothing in regard to my men. With all honor to those brave and able commanders, whom I respect, I say they did not overtake Price again south of the Missouri line, and the two battles fought at this place were fought by my own regiment with a handful of militia against nearly 7,000 of Price's army, and the last fighting was done twenty hours before the arrival of the first man of Curtis' or Blunt's army. We had no re-enforcements or assistance, and we ought to get credit for it. Our own spades and rifles gained the victory. I beg of you to set this matter right both in Saint Louis and Springfield, so that the public will know it.

M. LA RUE HARRISON,

Colonel, Commanding.


HDQRS. DETACH. FOURTH CAV. MISSOURI STATE MILITIA,
Fulton, Mo., November 20, 1864.

ASST. ADJT. General, DIST. OF NORTH MISSOURI,

Macon City, Mo.:

Inclosed I send tri-monthly report of the Fourth Cavalry Missouri State Militia for ten days ending November 20. I have no information of importance to communicate. There are but few bushwhackers in this county at present that I can hear of, and the only ones that I have heard of for several days past were a band of six, some ten miles west of this place, yesterday evening. I sent two detachments of my command this morning to make diligent search for them, and, in case they overhauled them, to "muster them out." The conscripts that have come into this station have been turned over to the assistant provost-marshal at this place for his disposal. He is acting under instructions from the provost-marshal-general of the department. Not having orders nor instructions what disposition to make of this class of prisoners is the reason that I turned them over to the assistant provost-marshal at this


Page 631 Chapter LIII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.