Arrived at Cassville, Mo., on the 27th. Ascertaining at that point that the enemy in force were in the vicinity of Berryville, Ark., I moved forward on the morning of the 28th for that place, with one battalion of the Sixth Missouri State Militia Cavalry, Major Murphy, and one section of First Missouri Artillery, Lieutenant Stierlin. I purposed making Berryville that night, but finding the roads in a rough and heavy condition, I was obliged to camp about midway, in the vicinity of White River. Reached Berryville on the 29th; found Captain Duff in command with a small force of the Second Arkansas Cavalry. Everything was apparently quiet in that locality, except some little excitement created by small parties of jayhawkers who infest the country bordering on the Osage and King's Rivers. At Berryville I was detained seven days on account of supplies not reaching me. The train conveying the same from Cassvile having arrived at White river, was on account of high water unable to cross. The river was swollen very high by the trains that fell on the 30th and 31st. My supply train arrived on the 5th of February. Leaving at Berryville a force sufficiently strong to repel an attack of any considerable number, and deeming the place amply secure, I pushed forward on the morning of the 6th, with an additional force of 100 of the Second Arkansas, in the direction of Carrollton, Crooked Creek, and Rolling Prairie, having previously heard that some considerable demonstrations were being made in that section by Freeman, Love, and Gunning. I formed a junction with Colonel Phelps, Major [Captain] Galloway, and Captain Human on the 8th at Rolling Prairie. Here I received intelligence that Freeman and Love, with their respective commands, had marched east of Yellville, the forces of McCullough, Nicholas, and Gunning had separated in small squads and scattered in various directions. Found that Phelps, Galloway, and Human had thoroughly scouted the country on Crooked Creek, Rolling Praire, Newton County, and as far south as Burrowsville, meeting the enemy often, routing the in every engagement, and killing 70 of their number, meeting only with a trivial loss. It is very evident neither of the rebel forces who have been operating on White River will risk an engagement with anything like an equal number. They are, however, inclined to make sudden dashes, invariably upon inferior, numbers; ambushing, attacking trains, &c.

With Major [Captain] Galloway and Captain Human's commands I moved east to Yellville, were I arrived on the 9th. Discovered on the route numerous small parties of the enemy upon the prominent hills and cliffs that commanded our line of marc, perfectly secure, as an attempt to dislodge them would have proved fruitless as to important results. I could have brought my artillery into requisition in many instances similar to the above but should I done so, my hopes of meeting the enemy in force would have been entirely frustrated. At Yellville I captured some 8 or 10 prisoners, some of them notorious characters.

At that point I remained several days, scouting the country in all directions with considerable success. Information reached me at Yelliville, placing Freeman and Love, with 600 or 800 men, across White River with the design of making a raid into Missouri. With the view of ascertaining the correctness of such report, I sent Major [Captain] Galloway and command to Dubugue, on White River; also a scout of the Sixth Missouri State Militia Cavalry, under Lieutenant Finley, to Talbot's Ferry, where it was supposed the enemy had crossed