May 4, 1864, Springfield, Mo.,
Brigadier General John B. Sanborn to Major O. D. Greene

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI,
Springfield, Mo., May 4, 1864.

 Maj. O. D. GREENE,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Saint Louis, Mo.:

Major Burch, commanding at Neosho, dispatches on the 1st instant that Colonels Stand Watie, Cooper, and Pickler are at Gilstrop's Ferry, on the Grand River, west of Neosho, with from 800 to 1,200 men, and that they had stated that they expected Quantrill to join them shortly, and that they designed to attack the trains from Fort Scott to Fort Smith, and-also to capture our troops at Neosho.

Colonel Adair was at Bentonville yesterday with 200 men, and is reported to have stated that he designed to move on Neosho. I have 150 effective men at Neosho, and 80 more in the field south of there, under Major Cosgrove, with orders to move to Neosho if he found more force than he could fight successfully in the field. I will order another squadron there to-day, and then wait developments. If a whole regiment, mounted, could be thrown into the field on the border now it would result in great advantages. I have not a regiment well mounted, and cannot leave the trains that have to be escorted.

There is plenty of grass on the border now.

 JOHN B. SANBORN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

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