HDQRS. SECOND CAVALRY MISSOURI STATE MILITIA, Palmyra, December 13, 1862.

Brigadier-General MERRILL,
Commanding Northeastern District of Missouri.

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge of your order of the 12th ordering full statement of causes of arrest of Misses Lizzie Powell and Maggie Creath and a report of the manner of their confinement. Having had no official connection with these young ladies or control over their detention I called upon Colonel Strachan, late provost-marshal-general of this district, whose reply I have the honor to inclose. The active disloyalty of these two women is notorious, and their beauty, talents and superior education have made many a man a bushwhackers who except for that influence would have been and honest man. They are oven openly and persistently disloyal. I regard them each of sufficient importance to either justify a strict surveillance or banishment from the State.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

JOHN McNEIL,

Brigadier-General, Missouri State Militia.

[Inclosure.]

[PALMYREA, MO., December 13, 1862.]

General McNEIL:

SIR: In answer to your inquiries about Misses Powell and Creath, the evidence sent to the office from Doctor Hueston, near Santa Fe, I think, and several others, established that these young ladies had taken a carriage of Armstead Botts, of Monroe County, driven to Hannibal, and brought out under the protection of the petticoat flag a quantity of gun caps, some 50,000, and other essentials to the guerrillas. Miss Creath made quite a sensation in Monroe County traveling with one Clay Price, a noted captain of guerrillas, dressed in rebel colors and a brace of rebel pistols ornamenting her taper waist. Their influence, being young ladies of large talking propensities, was particularly pernicious, they openly declaring that they acknowledge the authority of no Government but that of "Jeff Davis, the noblest and wisest man that ever graced a presidential chair. " Their cases were submitted by me to Colonel Grantt, provost-marshal-general, and he advised their banishment from the State, but gave me no written order to that effect. The manner of their detention has been on their personal parole that they would abstain from writing and talking treason. They remained at the house of Elder Creath without guard, and Miss Powell has since been allowed the liberty of Hannibal, her native town, at your order.

I am, very respectfully,

WM. R. STRACHAN,

Provost-Marshal, Palmyra.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Washington, D. C., December 13, 1862.

Major General JOHN E. WOOL,

Commanding Eight Army Corps, Baltimore, Md.

GENERAL: The conflict of authority between the military commanders at Annapolis is of frequent occurrence and leads to inconvenience and to the determinant of the service. I therefore beg to request that specific instructions placing the camp of paroled prisoners at