NEOSHO, MO., February 1, 1864.

Lieutenant: I have the honor to inform you of a scout I made in the Seneca Nation on the 23d of January. I learned by one of my scouts that there was a squad of rebels in the Seneca Nation, and on the 22d of Jan I started with 30 men of my command and marched 18 miles through the woods to avoid the rebels getting any information of my approach; halted until 2 a. m., 23d; then moved to where I supposed I would find the enemy, and about an hour after sunrise I came upon 10 of them at a house. I had 6 men in the advance, which I had charge of. I made a charge on them, killing 2 of them and wounding several; the balance dispersed in the thick brush in Cowskin Bottom. One of the men we killed was a deserter from the Sixth Kansas Regiment, and was a lieutenant in Stand Watie’s command. The other man was also one of Stand Watie’s men, a half-breed. The deserter’s name was Harden Talifaro.

I think there are some 50 bushwhackers in the Seneca Nation, or in that vicinity. They do not stay all together but are in small bands. I am going to make another scout in the nation before long, but I cannot take many men with me, for it would not be safe to do so. I am confident I can whip 50 of them with 25 of my men. It is a great place for guerrillas to hide in the Cowskin Bottom.

Since my command has been reduced to one company I will have to be on the alert. I will have scouts out all the time southwest, which will enable me to learn of any approach of the enemy in force. In relation to forage, we are getting full rations of corn and about one-third rations of hay. I think I can obtain forage enough to subsist my company until we can work on the grass. I wish you to call the attention of the commanding general to the large number of citizen that are absent from the border counties, and from what I can learn would come back if they had any encouragement to come. It would be a great advantage to the State for the loyal families to come back and repair their farms and raise all the grain they can. There are some fifty families of Newton and Jasper Counties who are now in Kansas, near Fort Scott, who would come back if the commanding general would give them some encouragement to come back to their homes.

I am, with much respect, your most obedient servant,

MILTON BURCH
Capt. Comdg. Detach., Eighth Cavalry, Mo. State Militia.

SOURCE: OR, Series I, Volume 34, Part I, Pages 101-102.

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