the mutative condition. To meet the developmental requirements of the vegetable kingdom there should be somewhere a large number of species of plants in the mutative state, but hitherto they have not been discovered. Botanists should give the subject no rest until this vital question is settled. Faithfully yours,

March 1, 1908.

CHARLES A. WHITE.

REPORT ON OPERATIONS OF IOWA TROOPS IN MISSOURI IN JUNE, 1861.

BY COL. SAMUEL R. CURTIS.

In the course of its work in November, 1907, the commission having in charge the preparation of a complete roster of Iowa soldiers, sailors and marines discovered a most interesting military report. It is in the original manuscript form such as was prepared customarily at the front, and is subscribed in his own hand by Samuel R. Curtis, at the time Colonel of the Second Iowa Infantry. It is published below verbatim. No Iowa document appears to have referred to it, while opinions appended support the belief that it was never before published.

My Dear Mr. Aldrich:

E. R. H.

Society of the Army of the Tennessee,
Office of Recording Secretary,
Cincinnati, O., Dec. 12, 1907.

The only reference that I find to Curtis's 2d Iowa on the Hannibal and St. Joe road is Vol. 3 of War Records of the Rebellion at page 388, where Lyon says: "Col. Curtis is, I suppose, on the Hannibal and St. Joe road; vigorous measures should be shown the disorderly in that region. I am quite sure that the report

*

in question has not been published.

Yours sincerely,

CORNELIUS CADLE, Rec. Sec.

War Department, The Adjutant General's
Office, Washington, D. C., December 7, 1907.

Hon. Charles Aldrich,

Des Moines, Iowa.

Sir, I have the honor to advise you that nothing has been found of record in the War Department to show the receipt of such a re

port [as that of Col. Curtis, June 27th, 1861, detailing operations of his command after leaving Keokuk]. Accordingly it has never been published by the Department.

Very respectfully,

F. C. AINSWORTH, The Adjutant General.

Brig. Genl N Lyon Comdg.
Dear Sir:

Camp Lyon, St. Joseph, Mo.,
June 27, 1861.

Your telegraphic order directing me to raise all the forces I could muster in my vicinity and forthwith take military possession of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad and if possible move forward to Lexington, Missouri and to suppress rebellion and insurrection reached me at Keokuk June 13, 1861 at 1 o'clock A. M. and at 5 o'clock A. M. the 2nd Regiment Iowa Volunteers under my command was embarked on board the steamer Jeannie Deans. Immediately after receiving your order I notified Col. J. F. Bates Commanding the 1st Regiment Iowa Volunteers, who at my request ordered his command to follow for the purpose of uniting in the expedition.

The Regiments numbered about 2,000 men, well armed but otherwise indifferently equipped. Upon arriving at Hannibal in pursuance of your instructions I published a General Order assuming Command of the military forces at Hannibal and within twenty miles of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad.

The forces at Hannibal at that time were my own regiment, a detachment of about 450, from the 16th Regiment Illinois. Volunteers under command of Lieut. Col. Wilson and a force of 250 Home Guards under command of Major Josiah Lamb. At that time I was not aware of there being any troops at St. Joseph. I immediately issued special orders to Lieut. Col. Wilson of the Illinois Volunteers to prepare his command for a forward movement along the line of the Hannibal & St. Joseph R R and strengthened by three companies of my own Regiment. Myself in command of the detachment at 11 o'clock A. M. of the same day-June 13th, 1861-I moved west along the line of the road.

At Hunneville some arrests were made and several who fled were fired upon, but as I think without effect. The train passed on to Shelbina where a Secession flag was captured and a pole cut down. At Macon City a printing office was seized and a seditious sheet suppressed. Several prisoners were taken in our advance to this point and the taking of secession flags and scattering of rebels created much sensation.

Lieut. Col. Wilson's entire command was stationed near Chillicothe to guard the bridge across Grand River and to protect the line of the Rail Road in that vicinity. Details from Company "A" Lieut. T. J. McKinney Commanding and Company "B" Captain Littler of the 2nd Iowa Regiment were stationed at and near Hudson. Company "G” Capt. Baker 2nd Iowa Regiment was placed at an important bridge near Palmyra.

Before leaving Hannibal I had directed Companies "H" Captain Cowles, "I" Captain Cox, and "K" Captain Cloutman, to take position on the heights commanding the city of Hannibal previously occupied by the Illinois troops. The remaining Companies of my command and the Home Guard under Major Hunt were quartered in and around the Station House at South Hannibal to be in readiness to move, should they be so directed. Having thus secured the Road to Grand River against immediate danger I returned next morning June 14th, 1861, at 7 o'clock to Hannibal where I found Col. Bates with his command-the 1st Regiment Iowa Volunteers-they having arrived some time during the night.

The necessity of taking immediate possession and control of the entire road becoming more apparent I requested Col. Bates with his command to relieve Lt. McKinney at Hudson the junction of the North Missouri R. R. and sustain that central portion of the line as he might think best. Being thus reinforced on the Eastern portion of the line, I proceeded on the 14th collecting and moving my own Regiment forward, leaving Col. Wilson's command in protection of the important bridges and other interests in the vicinity of Chillicothe.

While the detachment of my Regiment under Lieut. McKinney remained at Hudson during the nights of the 13th and

14th, the troops routed several rebel assemblies, captured six prisoners, took three kegs of powder and two locomotives of the North Missouri Railroad which they learned on reliable authority were about to be crippled to prevent transporting U. S. Troops over the road. The prisoners and locomotives were turned over to Col. Bates and the powder to my Quarter Master.

As we proceeded westward we found the rebels disbanded and taken by surprise. Passing the town of Stewartsville a private in Company "A" shot a Secessionist in the act of firing his revolver at him, a breech of discipline which I punished although the rashness of the unfortunate young man seemed to justify the homicide. But generally at our display of force the Secessionist fled in consternation. Flags, munitions of war and other evidences of armed rebellion were captured and much surprise manifested by the peaceable citizens who expressed their satisfaction at the appearance of United States troops bearing the Stars and Stripes.

I arrived at St. Joseph June 15, 1861 at 9 o'clock A. M. and encamped a short distance below the city on the bank of the Missouri River. I had thus in fifty-six hours from the time. your dispatch reached me at Keokuk taken military possession of the entire road and established a sufficient guard along the line to protect it and at the same time scattered and disorganized the Rebel forces that were mustering through this portion of Missouri.

I found here in camp and in buildings within the city of St. Joseph three U. S. infantry companies under the command of Captains Sully, Steele and Gilbert, and one Company of Dragoons under command of Lieut. Armstrong numbering. in all about four hundred and fifty men and two companies. of Home Guards under command of Major Peabody whom I at once attached to my services.

Feeling apprehensive lest communications with the detachments along the line might be cut off, at 5 o'clock P. M. the same day of my arrival I detailed Companies "B," Captain Littler, "H" Captain Cowles and "I" Captain Cox, under the immediate command of Lieut. Col. Tuttle to return on the road

as far as the vicinity of Cameron. This was just in time to save the bridge at Cameron which was found on fire but was saved by the timely arrival of troops. Scouting parties from the Companies "B" & "H" of this detachment on the following (Sunday) morning captured in and near the town of Cameron, twenty-one prisoners, several guns, powder and shot and four secession flags. The prisoners have not been identified as in complicity with the attempt to burn the bridge, but were detained as belligerents against the General Government and members of military companies organized for the avowed purpose of aiding insurrectionary and rebellious movements against us. Many of them were men of position and influence in the vicinity in which they reside and some of them doubtless innocent sufferers.

The afternoon of the same day I again detailed three Companies "C" Captain Brewster "G" Captain Baker and "D" Lieut. Dykeman commanding the detachment under the immediate command of Capt. Brewster. This command by details stationed at different points has up to this time successfully supported the line sending out scouting parties capturing arms and ammunition and taken many prisoners all but two of whom I have released upon taking an oath of allegiance to the United States and giving further written assurance that they would keep the peace.

In skirmishing with the enemy along the line several rebels have been wounded and three or four probably killed. Rollbooks and other papers relating to their military organizations have been captured showing extensive moves under progress to drive the State into, secession and protracted civil war. Since my occupation and distribution of force as thus designated I have supported the entire line by keeping a constant vigilant movement of Engines and Cars with force concentrating companies wherever the enemy had collected with a view of making assaults and sending out parties from 5 to 15 miles to scatter rebels and keep them in perpetual consternation.

The Superintendent of the Railway Col. J. T. K. Hayward and the officers of the road generally have yielded ready obedience to my orders and the great military advantages of a Rail