Autograph letter signed by James A. Humphres, Co. B, 3rd Missouri Cavalry (Union). Camp Meagher, Missouri, 19 October 1862. 4 pages, 8vo. 

A detailed letter penned by James A. Humphres describing their skirmish against Confederate guerrilla Joseph Chrisman Porter (1809-1863): "There was a skirmish near here yesterday. [Joseph Chrisman] Porter's force started from northeast, Missouri, with one thousand men. He still had a thousand when he crossed the Missouri River. He was attacked four times before he got down here. We'd heard of him & started 200 men after him. Before we got there, he was gone. He had so far the start of us [that] we could not overtake him. Colonel [Albert] Sigel's Cavalry had attacked him when he got down here. He had only two hundred men. Sigel's Cavalry killed 50 of them. They are still in pursuit of them. Our boys all returned to camp this evening. Sigel's got three men wounded and nearly one killed. I don't know how many wounded. That is the last account of them."

He continues with an account of the 13th Missouri Cavalry capturing a flag: "The 13th Missouri Cavalry - that is Sigel's Cavalry - captured a very large silk flag. It was about 5 feet in length. The colors was red, white, and red, & quite a number of horses."

The action described by Humphreys is verified in a report by Colonel Albert Sigel of the 13th Missouri State militia Cavalry, which appears in the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 13 (skirmish at California house). 

A rare account of actions against Missouri guerrillas.

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