November 16, 1862, Springfield, Mo.
Brigadier-General E. B. Brown to Brigadier-General John M. Schofield

HEADQUARTERS SOUTHWEST DIVISION OF MISSOURI,
Springfield, Mo., November 16, 1862.

 Brig. Gen. JOHN M. SCHOFIELD,
Commanding Army of the Frontier, Springfield:

GENERAL: Upon assuming command of this division I find that within the past week Quantrill, with his band of guerrillas, has invaded the counties of Barton, Jasper, and Vernon, burnt the court-house and a portion of the town of Lamar, and now has possession of the district of country west of Stockton and north of Sarcoxie. Five companies of the Polk County Enrolled Missouri Militia have been ordered to Stockton and four companies of the Lawrence and Green Counties Enrolled Missouri Militia to Bower's Mills, to prevent, if possible, his moving toward the line of our communication with Rolla. Colonel Philips, Seventh Regiment Missouri State Militia, has been ordered to the command of the five western counties of this district (McDonald, Newton, Jasper, Barton, and Vernon). It will require two additional regiments of mounted troops to hold that country. There are at this post about 1,000 sick soldiers and between 300 and 400 prisoners.

Every officer and soldier in the acting commissary of subsistence and quartermaster's departments has been ordered to be relieved. My effective force to hold the country, guard the post, protect the line of communication, and escort trains, nurses for the sick, and the various other duties for which details must be made will not exceed 2,000 effective men, excluding the Seventeenth Iowa, which has been ordered here to reorganize and fit themselves for the future.

The Enrolled Missouri Militia, you are probably aware, has not been furnished clothing suitable for service in the field at this season of the year.

Requisitions made for clothing four months since remain unfilled. Trains that left Rolla the last week partially loaded with clothing have been turned off the road at Lebanon and sent to the Army of the Frontier. The troops under my command are suffering for the want of this clothing, being shoeless, coatless, and hatless in many cases. You will pardon me, general, for intruding this letter on you while sick, but the importance of the subject I hope will be sufficient apology.

I neglected to say in the proper connection that reports (probably exaggerated) of the burning of Union men's houses, driving off their families, and other barbarous outrages reach me from the western counties.

I am, general, very truly, your obedient servant,

 E. B. BROWN,

 Brigadier-General, Commanding.

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