April 21, 1862, Jefferson City, Mo.,
Captain Lucien J. Barnes
Special Orders No. 47.

HDQRS. DISTRICT OF CENTRAL MISSOURI,
Jefferson City, Mo., April 21, 1862.

I. It is represented on reliable authority at these headquarters that bands of jayhawkers, guerrillas, marauders, murderers and every species of outlaw are infesting to an alarming extent all the southeastern portion of Jackson County, and that persons of influence and wealth in these vicinities are knowingly harboring and thus encouraging (if not more culpably connected with) these bands of desperadoes. A prairie known as the "Doctor Lee Prairie," its borders and surroundings, are mentioned as the haunts of these outlaws and the farmers generally in these neighborhoods are said to be knowing to and encouraging the lawless acts of these guerrillas, &c., as mentioned above. Murders and robberies have been committed; Union men threatened and driven from their homes; the U.S. mails have been stopped; farmers have been prohibited planting by the proclamation of a well-known and desperate leader of these outlaws by the name of Quantrill, and the whole country designated reduced to a state of anarchy. This state of things must be terminated and the guilty punished. All those found in arms and open opposition to the laws and legitimate authorities, who are known familiarly as guerrillas, jayhawkers, murderers, marauders and horse-thieves will be shot down by the military upon the spot when found perpetrating their foul acts. All who have knowingly harbored or encouraged these outlaws in their lawless deeds will be arrested and tried by a military commission for their offenses, and those who have harbored and fed such miscreants as guerrillas, &c., but against whom clear proof cannot be obtained and who profess ignorance of having done these wrongs will be put under heavy bonds and security for their future good conduct or confined until they give such bonds, &c.

II. In order to correct the evils mentioned in the preceding paragraph and insure the passage of the mails regularly Lieut. Col. E. B. Brown, Seventh Missouri Volunteers, commanding the counties of Jackson and Cass, will station one company of cavalry about five miles north of Pleasant Hill on the southern and one company on the northern border of the "Doctor Lee Prairie" to punish these guerrillas and escort the mail in safety whenever necessary.

III. Major Curly, commanding post at Warrensburg, will send one company First Iowa Cavalry to proceed to Pleasant Hill and escort the mail now there through to Independence, when it will return again to its present post.

By order of Brig. Gen. James Totten, commanding district:

 LUCIEN J. BARNES,

 Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

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