Richard Yates to W. S. Rosecrans

March 1st [186]4.

Major General W.S. Rosecrans.

Commanding Dept. of the Missouri

St. Louis

General.

During the last week a band of outlaws from Missouri and perhaps aided and abetted by disloyal residents of Jersey Co Illinois near Alton, have seriously disturbed the peace of the neighborhood, by robbing peaceable and loyal citizens and stealing and destroying their property The civil authorities are represented to be powerless to enforce law or preserve the peace. - These outrages are committed clandestinely and are not within pervue of statute of the State authorizing the employment of a militia force - and if they were, the use of militia at the crisis is imprac-

tiable. I would therefore respectfully request you to send to Col. Weir of the 10th Kansas Commanding Post at Alton Ills. one or two companies of Cavalry to be held by him to meet requisitions made by myself or civil officers of the State for force to compel obedience to writs issued by our Courts for arrest of disloyal persons or if need be to scatter and overthrow armed bands assembled in that vicinity.

There are no more United States troops in this State than are actually required to perform necessary garrison duty at different posts and it is believed that no force can be obtained in this Military Department. It is not thought the use of the force requested will be required more than fifteen or twenty days and would of course be at your disposal at any moment.

I should not call upon you in any merely ordinary case of disturbance but in

this instance it does seem that these scoundrels should be punished. The Governor is empowered only to call out the posse comitatus in cases of actual insurrection. Our militia has not been armed, the Government not having responded to my calls in this respect as it did to Indiana and Ohio.- Please reply by first mail.

Very Respectfully

Richd Yates

Governor.

P.S. I send this by Mr. Robt [illegible] who will explain to you if you desire more fully- RY