came across some twenty of the Third Missouri State Militia from Centreville. They were dressed every way; some with citizen hats and in their shirt- sleeves. I took them to be bushwhackers; did not fire on them. They discovered us and halted. We called on them. They soon saw we were Federals, as were all in full uniform. I formed within thirty yards of them before they discovered me. I halted and made one advance; found they were all right. They were under command of a lieutenant, and had sent ten men on Big Creek and they were the ones we fired on. I turned over the horses and equipments to him, as they were his company. So it all was a mistake, but was in the fault of the commander of the squad, as they could know who we were. The best and reliable information of Freeman is he was on Ash Flat himself. One hundred of his men were on the Warm Fork of Spring River; the rest of his command on the North Fork of White River. Shelby is with Marmaduke. Freeman's is the only force I could hear of,and McCray was some place close to Batesville, and had some men on Seven Point conscripting. There is no large force near the line that I could hear of,though the women told us Shelby was in that county with 10,000 men, in order to get us away, but all stuff. Plenty bushwhackers on Jack's Fork. The citizens that live there say there are more in that county now than has been since the war. Fine crops of corn on Current River and Jack's Fork. Most of the men have been at home and made their crops and now all gone of with Freeman. I will endeavor to keep you posted in regard to any rebel force.

Respectfully,

L. E. WHYBARK,

Captain, Commanding Detachment.

Colonel SIGEL.

JULY 18-23, 1864.- Operations in Southwest Missouri, with skirmishes near Maysville, Ark. (20th), and near Carthage, Mo. (21st).

REPORTS.

Numbers 1.- Brigadier General John B. Sanborn, U. S. Army, commanding District of Southwest Missouri.

Numbers 2.- Colonel John D. Allen, Seventh Provisional Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia.

Numbers 3.- Captain james L. Powell, Second Arkansas Cavalry (Union).

Numbers 1. Report of Brigadier General John B. Sanborn, U. S. Army, commanding District of Southwest Missouri.

SPRINGFIELD, MO., July 29, 1864.

A portion of Captain Turner's company, stationed at Hartsville, attacked twenty five bushwhackers going north last week and killed 6 of them and captured all of their horse equipments. Captain Sallee's company in Douglass attacked a band of about thirty the first of the week and killed 14 of them and captured some horses. Captain Rohrer killed 4 bushwhackers on Cane Creek the first of the week, and the troops at Neosho and Carthage have killed 4 during the week. Colonel Pickler and 6 of his men were killed by a detachment of the First Arkansas in Benton County last week. Brown's forces and Pickler's then moved north to Baxter Spring, and about sixty of their men came into the vicinity of Carthage and attacked about nineteen of the Enrolled Missouri Militia while herding their horses, and the militia