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POST HEADQUARTERS,
Patterson, Mo., June 1, [2,] 1863.
SIR: I have the honor to transmit to you the following report of the skirmish yesterday morning:
Information had been received that Reves and Porter were encamped at Porter's Mill, 44 miles south of this place, on the Pocahontas road.
Saturday morning, May 30, 1863, I started two expeditions, one under command of Captain Erskine, of about 60 men of the Thirteenth Illinois Cavalry, and the other of 73 men-40 of the Third Missouri State Militia and 33 of the Thirteenth Illinois Cavalry. I took command myself.
Captain Erskine was to attack the enemy in front at 3 o'clock to-day, while I, by going a southwestern route, would be on hand to attack them in the rear at the same hour.
I marched from this camp to Carter's Mill, on the Van Buren road, 20 miles, and could not learn anything of the enemy at that place, the citizens telling me that they had not seen or heard of a rebel in that vicinity. I then marched back from Carter's Mill bout 3 miles, and took the Doniphan road; kept it 10 miles; there left it, and camped at a small farm about 1 1/2 miles off from the road. My object in doing this was to obtain forage. The militia were camped in a barn and yard, their horses being all inside the yard. The detachment of the Thirteenth was about 10 rods distant from the barn, in the woods. At about 3.45 o'clock the next morning, the enemy, who had come inside my pickets and gained a position behind the fence, along the edge of the woods, without being discovered, opened a heavy fire on the militia, who immediately ran for the woods, and were lost in the brush. I tried to get them to hold the barn and fence, but they could not stand the fire. After I had lost them, I went over to the company of the Thirteenth, who were in line, returning the enemy's fire lightly, and ordered them up on the hill, to a better position, where I halted and waited for stragglers from the militia to come up. The enemy in the mean time had ceased firing, and could not be seen. I then marched back to this camp.
The enemy was commanded by Reves and Porter, and numbered about 300 men. The attack was a complete surprise, and not expected at all by me. If my horses had not been saddled and bridled, I might have lost them all. On our way back, I learned that the enemy had followed me the day before for 12 miles, remaining about two hours behind.
The loss in my regiment is nothing, only myself wounded. The militia lost about 23 horses. All the men are in but 2. There are 3 wounded.
I have sent word for Captain Erskine to return, and he will probably be in to-night.
Most respectfully, your obedient servant,
L. LIPPERT,
Major Thirteenth Illinois Cavalry.
Colonel CLARK,
Commanding Sub-district, Pilot Knob, Mo.