HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTH MISSOURI, Colonel WILLIAMS, [Third] Iowa Regiment, Brookfield. COLONEL: Immediately upon receipt of this letter you will proceed to Palmyra with all the effective men of your command, leaving the Missouri regiment (Morgan's) to occupy Brookfield and guard the public stores there. The object of your movement is to open the road which is reported to be obstructed near Palmyra and occupy Palmyra so as to insure the safety of travel. You will at once dispatch a messenger to General Hurlbut with the inclosed order and make sure that he gets it. You can send for your regimental baggage as soon as the road is clear as your station for some time to come will be Palmyra or Hannibal. I am, colonel, your obedient servant, [JNO. POPE, Brigadier-General, Commanding.] [Inclosure.] HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTH MISSOURI, Brigadier-General HURLBUT, Kirksville. GENERAL: Upon the receipt of this order and without the least delay you will move with your force upon Palmyra and reopen the road which has been obstructed. I cannot conceive how you could have remained ten days at Kirksville and allowed Green's forces to interrupt travel and commit outrages unopposed all through Marion County. Break up your camp at once and march on Palmyra. Moore is ordered to follow you and 500 of Bussey's cavalry will be sent from Keokuk to Hannibal. You have force enough and to spare and great surprise and dissatisfaction is expressed at department headquarters at your unex plained delay at Kirksville. Mr. Cassel will hand you orders concerning Paris which you will execute at once. Respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, JNO. POPE, Brigadier-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT, Col. J. C. DAVIS, Commanding, Jefferson City. SIR: The major-general commanding orders that you cause Captain Magoffin, taken prisoner at Georgetown, Mo., to be sent forthwith with all other prisoners of the same character to the arsenal of this city. Send copies of accusations against them. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major, U. S. Army, and Military Secretary. General JOHN C. FRÉMONT. TROY, MO.. September 5, 1861. SIR: The committee of safety for the county of Lincoln appointed under the special order of Brigadier-General Pope in his absence from his headquarters at Saint Louis beg leave to report to you the condition of affairs in our county. We have made several reports to General Pope of the movements of armed bodies of men in and through our county telling him that we were unable to control such movements within ourselves, and with the means of defense in the hands of our people and the general feeling toward us it would be impossible to disperse and break up the organization in our county while all the surrounding counties contribute to increase the members making the force entirely beyond our control. For several days past quite a stir has been going on amongst these forces. Men have been gathering in from different quarters until now they are several hundred strong though considerably scattered. They have no regular encampment but we are informed that they have a camp of instruction at which they meet from day to day for military exercise. This place of meeting is situated about six miles south of Troy and about the same distance north of Millville on the North Missouri railroad. Within the last few days several complaints have been made to us of depredations committed by small parties belonging to this organization upon some of our citizens. We have remonstrated against such proceedings and have succeeded in one or two instances of having horses restored that were taken. As yet we have heard of no threats or acts of violence toward any one. All is quiet with the exceptions mentioned. We see no signs of a forward movement of the forces around us; they will probably remain as they are unless disturbed. There is a continual passing in and out of our town of these men. They go to and fro without molestation making no disturbance with the exception of occasional noisy demonstrations produced from the effects of bad whisky. And if you will allow us the suggestion while on this point if the same regulations. in regard to dram-shops as exist in Saint Louis were extended to this and every other county in the State the peace of the country generally would be better preserved. Give no permits to dram sellers or liquor dealers in any town or village unless recommended by a majority of the citizens through the committee of safety and the result will be for the general good of the people. As the condition of affairs demand we will report from time to time. We are, truly, yours, C. W. PARKER AND OTHERS, Committee. SAINT LOUIS, September 6, 1861. Brigadier-General STURGIS, Commanding at Arsenal. SIR: In order to put a stop to the robberies and violence committed by the rebel hordes under Green who are now assembled at Shelbina to the number of about 3,000 and who have cut off Colonel Williams from his eastern communication lines I have resolved upon a combined attack on the rebels and their annihilation. J. C. FREMONT, Major-General, Commanding. FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANS., September 7, 1861. Major-General FRÉMONT: The communications by rail and wire entirely cut off on the Hannibal and Saint Joseph. Lane reports the enemy's column marching on Lexington. Can a force attack from Jefferson City while Lane attacks from the west? I hope you will adopt early and active measures to crush out this marauding which is being enacted in Captain Jennison's name as also yours by a band of men representing themselves as belonging to your command. Captain Wilder will be able to give the details of their conduct at Leavenworth City, and doubtless their atrocities in other localities have been already represented to you. Please have a formal examination into the plundering of private and public buildings which has recently taken place as I am informed at Fort Scott. It will be necessary for representation to higher authority and for the adjustment of the accounts of disbursing officers. I have command of this post some days but must have four pieces of artillery if I hold it much longer. The rebels are concentrating around in every direction and I know we will be attacked before long. This post and stores and round-house must be held. Over 200 of my command are aiding to build the Platte River bridge near Saint Joseph. No communication with General Pope since he has been on the road. Fifteen hundred of Green's forces commenced crossing the river about Glasgow yesterday, forty-five miles from here. W. JAS. MORGAN, Colonel. Major-General FREMONT: HUDSON, September 12, 1861. It is altogether untrue that any bridges or culverts have been destroyed between this place and Hannibal as stated in the papers. Since my arrival in this section a trestle-work was destroyed by Green. It was repaired and day before yesterday spread out as the train passed over. It was a simple accident. It is now repaired and the 15 R R-SER II, VOL I road is clear to Platte River. The news that Green has crossed at Glasgow is undoubted. He has carried out of North Missouri a large part of the ruffians and bridge-burners who have committed outrages. Within a few days all will be quiet again. I go forward to Saint Joseph and thence to Keokuk. I will have Glasgow and Brunswick immediately visited by a strong force, and as soon as the regiments of Glover, Moore, Tindall and Foster are ready I will turn the regiments to the line of the Missouri River. JNO. POPE. HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT, U. S. ARMY, Col. T. T. TAYLOR, Commanding at Springfield. SIR: Yours of the 8th instant* containing an erroneous construction of my proclamation dated on the 30th ultimo has had my attention. I understand the object of your note to be to inquire whether it was my intention to shoot the wounded who might be taken prisoners by the forces under my command. The following paragraph extracted from the proclamation will be strictly enforced within the lines prescribed against the class of offenders for whom it was intended, viz: All persons who shall be taken with arms in their hands within these lines shall be tried by court-martial and if found guilty will be shot. The lines are expressly declared to be those of the army in the military occupation of this State. You have wholly misapprehended the meaning of the proclamation. Without undertaking to determine the condition of any man engaged in this rebellion I desire it to be clearly understood that the proclamation is intended distinctly to recognize all the usual rights of an open enemy in the field and to be in all respects strictly conformable to the ordinary usages of war. It is hardly necessary for me to say that it was not prepared with any purpose to ignore the ordinary rights of humanity with respect to wounded men or to those who are humanely engaged in alleviating their sufferings. Respectfully, your obedient servant, Major-General FRÉMONT: J. C. FREMONT, Major-General, Commanding. SAINT JOE, September 15, 1861. Road to Hannibal open except Platte River bridge (finished tomorrow) and all quiet. Secessionists numbering some 2,500 in detached bands retreating southward to cross river below Independence. I have sent column of 1,000 men and three pieces of artillery under Colonel Smith to march rapidly from this place in pursuit, and the Iowa regiment with one piece of artillery and fifty irregular horse to move rapidly from Cameron upon Liberty and there effect junction with Smith. There is no doubt in my judgment that the large train of plunder will be captured, though as usual I presume the forces will disperse, and being cavalry will mostly escape unless Smith can surprise them. I have put all irregular forces-home guards and othersin motion scouting the country on all sides. Colonels Cranor and Edwards-the first commanding irregular forces of Missouri Volunteers, * Omitted. the second about 600 Iowa State troops-will be here to-day having swept whole region north of this place clean. I put them immediately in motion along both sides of railroad to clean out the small squads remaining in the woods from Saint Joseph to Chillicothe. In five days North Missouri will be again quiet and the regiments of Tindall, Moore, Foster, Morgan and Glover will return. So you will please send Tindall's regiment as soon as possible to Chillicothe. I go east to-day to urge into the field the regiments named. There are some disturbances of minor importance in the extreme northeast and I must get to Canton and Keokuk without awaiting the return of Smith's command. Can Glover and Bussey get their cavalry armed at once? General FRÉMONT: JNO. POPE, HUDSON, Mo., September 16, 1861. Just arrived here on my way to Keokuk. Find Ohio regiments on their way to Utica. If you can send Tindall's regiment to Chillicothe immediately the Sixteenth Illinois and Third Iowa can also be forwarded to Lexington. There will be no more considerable trouble in North Missouri. JNO. POPE, Major-General FRÉMONT: QUINCY, ILL., September 17, 1861. Arrived here last night but did not find boat I had requested to be sent from Saint Louis to carry me from Canton to Keokuk. Cannot do my business without her. There is now no difficulty in North Missouri nor do I believe that fifty armed men can get together in the region south of Knox and Lewis Counties. Shall be up there as soon as I can get a boat. Railroad all clear and will remain so and will return to Saint Louis as soon as I finish up the river. Bussey and Glover need their cavalry arms. JNO. POPE. HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT, Col. J. H. EATON, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General: CHEST CHESTER HARDING, JR., Brigadier-General. I. Having been assigned to duty in Northeastern Missouri by instructions from Brigadier-General Prentiss, commanding, dated Jef |