with Companies C and F, of the First Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, at 10 o'clock. I ran Captain Blunt from his camp, [containing] 15 or 20 men; they scattered, and Captain Blunt ran into Company I and they killed him. On the 9th, I killed one Robert Cartnel, and broke up a camp of 20 men. On the 10th, I broke up a camp and captured powder, lead, and bullets, and burned the camp. In addition to this, on the 8th, 2 guerrillas went to the Rev. Moses B. Arnold, of La Fayette County, and forced him to go with them to Judge Gray's house, of Jackson County, and marry Miss Barbary Jane Gray to James W. Wilkenson, the notorious guerrilla, second in command to Blunt. Also, there are three ferry-boats on the Missouri River used for conveying rebels, which, in my opinion, had better be destroyed. Those boats are kept north of the river.

Yours, in respect,

J. W. FERMAN.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI,
Springfield, Mo. March 14, 1864.

Major O. D. GREENE,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

I have the honor to forward, for the information of the major-general commanding, the inclosed official report of Captain Ozias Ruark, Eighth Missouri State Militia Cavalry, showing the condition of McDonald County, Mo., and its inhabitants. Captain Ruark has not been able t find enough forage in the county to subsist the horses of a company of cavalry.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN B. SANBORN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[Inclosure.]

MCDONALD COUNTY, MO.,

Five miles below Rutledge, on Cowskin, March 11, 1864.

Brigadier General J. B. SANBORN,

Commanding District of Southwest Missouri:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that in obedience to Special Orders, Numbers 58, headquarters District of Southwest Missouri, I moved with my company and transportation, &c., to the vicinity of Elk Mills (generally known as Scott's Mills.) These mills are burned and the vicinity is depopulated for miles except a very few indigent women and children, who have no forage at all except a very little corn, and I think none of them have enough of that to bread them more than two months, or three at the most. This being the case I have been absolutely compelled to march with my command up the Cowskin in order to get forage, and I have not found forage enough at any one place to feed my animals well twice, even if I had taken every grain from women and children.

The inhabitants of McDonald County are nearly all gone, and the remaining part of the people (nearly all women and children) have no forage except a very little corn, generally shelled, in boxes or hid upstairs. It will be impossible for me to obtain forage for any animals more than two or three days longer, if that long. I shall be