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REPLY OF COLONEL JENNISON 
 
 TO 
 
 G. O. BIN^GHi^lVi:. 
 
 G-. C. Bingham, of Jefferson City, Missouri, has published a letter, 
 (which has been printed in pamphlet form and distributed among 
 the members of both Houses of Congress,) assaulting me, with vindic- 
 dictive bitterness of feeling. 
 
 It would be unnecessary, either in Kansas or Missouri, or wherever 
 I am known, to refute his falsehoods or meet his malice ; but here, 
 where I am, comparatively, a stranger, my friends think it necessary, 
 that I should do both. 
 
 I shall say but little in regard to Mr. Bingham. 
 
 It is well known that he was opposed to a coercive policy in Mis- 
 souri. He was a neutral, and for neutrality, all through. He con- 
 sented to serve in the Home Guards, provided they should not be sent 
 out of the State, and for this end raised a company. 
 
 Col. Mulligan was at t^at time in command at Lexington, Missouri. 
 He ordered Captain Bingham, with his company, to that city. The 
 men obeyed, but he refused to go, and left the service. 
 
 For this conduct I reported him to Maj. Gen. Hunter and pressed 
 his immediate arrest, upon the charge of cowardice, and hence the vi- 
 olence and vindictiveness of Mr. Bingham against me. 
 
 The first charge which Mr. Bingham makes against me reads as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 "Several of his [Jennison's] band of jayhawkers made their appear- 
 ance in ifl^e vicinity of Kansas City, early in last June, and were ob- 
 served skulking about the pickets of the United States troops, then tem- 
 porarily stationed there, under the command of Captain (now Major) 
 Prince. This discreet officer, justly suspecting the purpose of their 
 
mission to be none other than pillage, peremptorilj ordered them be- 
 yond the limits of our State." 
 
 The facts are these : The Governor of Kansas ordered me to repair 
 with my command to the city of Wyandotte. Captain Prince after- 
 wards directed tne to proceed to Kansas City. I did so in person, 
 and "while there acted under his orders. I was not ordered out of Mis- 
 souri by him. Nor did I leave that State until commanded to do so 
 by the Governor of Kansas. 
 
 The second charge made by Mr. Bingham reads as follows : 
 
 "Athough reluctantly compelled to heed this mandate, [viz: Capt. 
 Prince's order, as Mr. Bingham falsely charges,] at the time, they held 
 themselves in readiness to renew their visit, as soon as a favorable op- 
 portunity should be presented, and after the withdrawal of the troops 
 under Major Prince, they again entered Missouri. They were led, on 
 this occasion, by their chief, Jennison, in person, and, unfortunately for 
 the honor of our arms, were associated with Major Van Horn and Col. 
 Weir, in their expedition against a formidable rebel force, assembled 
 at Harrisonville, in Cass county. Colonel Weir, by virtue of his rank, 
 was in command of the Union forces, and should be chiefly held respon- 
 sible for the unbridled license which was given to the rapacity of these 
 irregular and lawless attaches of his command." 
 
 Very true: I did return to Missouri, but it was under these circum- 
 stances : 
 
 Col. Nugent, of Missouri, commanding a regiment of Home Guards, 
 sent a special messenger to me for help. He had been defeated by the 
 rebels. Besides, Major Van Horn, also of the Missouri Home Guards, 
 while attempting to re-inforce him, was met by the enemy, in over- 
 whelming force, and routed, losing his entire train, all his ammunition, 
 and driven into Kansas. I met him and Col. Nugent at the head of 
 Wea creek, Miami county, without food, or any means of attacking 
 or repelling the foe. 
 
 A council of war was held. I was invited in, though at that time 
 holding no office tinder the Oovernment of the United States. 
 
 It was ascertained that at Morristown, Cass county, Mo., eight miles 
 from the head of Wea creek, the rebels were encamped, and had a 
 large supply of ammunition and provisions. The decision of the 
 council was, that I should take what available force we had and attempt 
 the capture of the foe and his supplies. 
 
This council was held at night. The following morning I marched " 
 for Morristown. The enemy knew of my approach. When nearing 
 the town, I found him drawn up in line of battle, and far .stronger than, 
 we were. We had no alternative. We must have provisions and 
 powder, and therefore the men were eager for fight. I threw out fifty 
 picked men, as skirmishers, on my right, while I attacked the rebels 
 on the left. This was about 10 a m. The fight had been carried on 
 near an hour, when I ordered a charge with our whole force. The 
 enemy retreated in confusion. I captured five wagons loaded with 
 flour, two with bacoA, fourteen kegs of powder, &c. 
 
 This property I turned over to the officers of the Government, and 
 thus were the Home Guards of Missouri, imder Col. Nugent and Major 
 Van Horn, relieved, and the Union men of that part of the State of 
 Missouri, protected from rebel outrages. 
 
 The night which followed this battle at Morristown, another council 
 of war was held, and it was determined to attack the rebel forces at 
 Harrisonville, Cass county. Mo., some eighteen miles from the head 
 of Wea creek. 
 
 Cols. Wier and Nugent and Major Van Horn desired me, again, to 
 assume command and conduct the attack. 
 
 I ordered our forces — seven hundred and fifty strong — to be ready 
 to move at sunrise on the following morning. 
 
 We reached Harrisonville on the second day thereafter, near 2 p. m. 
 When within two miles of that place, we met about five hundred rebels, 
 drawn up in line of battle. As we approached, they fell back. As I 
 came upon the city, I moved a portion of our troops over the prairie 
 and secretly despatched the rest through the tiniber, with orders to, 
 assail the enemy in his rear. A surprise was the result, and he fled in 
 utter confusion, leaving everything behind, and this, too, without our 
 losing a man. 
 
 Thus, a second time, I contributed somewhat to aid the Home Guards 
 of Missouri and to protect the true Union men of that part of the State 
 of Missouri. 
 
 The third charge Mr. Bingham makes against me is this :" 
 
"As such a pretext [ viz: entering Missouri without cause] was no 
 longer wanting, he soon came, pompously marching his forces in ex- 
 tended files through the streets of Kansas City." 
 
 At this time. I was an officer of the United States Governmem. I 
 had raised a regiment of hardy and heroic men, and was under the 
 command of Captain Prince, of Fort Leavenworth. I was ordered by 
 him to Kansas City, Missouri, to protect Union men and disperse 
 the rebels. I obeyed the order. More than that, I met Hays and his 
 band, capturing from him forty government wagons, a large quan- 
 tity of salt, medicinal stores, &c., and four hundred head of cattle, all 
 destined for General Price, and drove the rebel robber and his follow- 
 ers from that part of Missouri. All the property thus captured I 
 turned over to the government of&cials at Fort Leavenworth and re- 
 ceived the hearty thanks of Major General Hunter, who was at this 
 time in command of the Kansas Department, for my success. 
 
 Let me state here, once for all, that I never entered the State of Mis- 
 souri with an armed force, except by order of the regular officials of 
 the United States Government, and then only for the purpose of up- 
 holding loyal citizens and defeating rebels. Let me state another 
 fact : that when I was ordered by Major General Hunter to repair to 
 Fort Leavenworth, that place being threatened then by the enemy, 
 Kansas City and Independence sent pressing messages to him, backed 
 by the strongest petitions on the part of the people of these cities, 
 urging him to let me remain in command in that section of Missouri. 
 I think I may now dismiss all and every charge of interfering improp- 
 erly, either with the people or with the afliiirs of that State, as ut- 
 terly false. 
 
 ' Mr. Bingham makes against me wholesale charges, involving guilt 
 of the deepest dye. 
 
 Invading "the s'auctity of private dwellings; robberies which inau- 
 gurated that infernal system of predatory waiiare ; murders ; tyrannical 
 abuse of authority ; stealing watches and jewelry ; dry goods, groceries, 
 and drugs ; mules, horses, and wagons, of farmers; burning houses," 
 &c., &C. 
 
 These charges are lalsc 
 
First. All property taken by me or my command, in Missouri, was 
 taken from rebels, and turned over to the government officials, whose 
 receipts therefor are now in the liauds of the Quartermaster of my 
 regiment. 
 
 Second. I abused no man in Missouri, whether Union or rebel. 
 
 What Mr. Bingham states as to the teamsters and the three " respect- ' 
 able" citizens of Kansas city, is true. I did order them to haul hay 
 and wood. I made them work, and saw that their work was well 
 done. But who were they ? Rebels ! Men who had helped to erect a 
 secession pole at Kansas City, and to rob the United States Arsenal at 
 Liberty, Mo. Union men are forced to work, when serving their 
 country ; are rebels better than they, when fighting against that 
 country ? 
 
 Third. The heroic men whom I command, with myself, are charged 
 with being cut-throats and marauders, and instances are given by Mr. 
 Bingham to sustain these charges. 
 
 My special order, No. 37, published in Missouri and throughout the 
 West, proclaimed my position. That order declared that every soldier 
 of my command, who should enter any house, either of friend or foe, 
 and take therefrom any property, without orders, should be tried, and, 
 if found guilty, shot. One instance, and only one, of the violation of 
 that order occurred. The soldier, who was guilty, belonged to Com- 
 pany "C." Upon complaint being madt?, he was arrested, tried, found 
 guilty, and shot. 
 
 But why dwell further on these charges of Mr. Bingham ? They 
 are wildly made, and, as I have said, falsely put. One fact, with all 
 who know me, will be conclusive on this point. He charges me with 
 cowardice ! I have never claimed to be a brave man. I have never 
 set myself up for a hero ; all I have ever done has been to defend the 
 rights and principles of my country, and in doing this I have met dan- 
 ger in every form, and never shrunk from responsibility under any 
 circumstances. 
 
 It seems to me that another fact, and a very simple one, should close. 
 
conclusively, this whole matter. All these charges, so rudely and vin- 
 dictively made by Mr. Bingham, were put in form before Major Gen- 
 eral Hunter. My accuser stood in his presence to urge them. He 
 brought whatever proof he could bring, direct or indirect, to sustain 
 them. But AFTER Major General Hunter had heard Mr. Bingham, 
 • AFTER he had examined, in detail, the testimony which he had offered, 
 without calling upon me for explanation or reply, he dismissed these 
 charges. 
 
 Nor is this all. He appointed me Acting Brigadier General, assign- 
 ing me a command of over three thousand men, and placing me in one 
 of the most responsible positions on the borders of Kansas and Mis- 
 souri, in that very portion of Missouri where all these cnorraities are said 
 to have been committed by vie. Nor did Major General Hunter stop here. 
 Without a word from me, witliout my knowing, even, what he intended 
 or wished, he wrote to the President of the United States, urging him 
 strongly to appoint me one of the Brigadier Generals of Kansas Vol- 
 unteers. 
 
 I could multiply proof without end on this subject. I will only add 
 one class of testimony and that pro-slavery in part, and wholly Mis- 
 sourian in character. I refer to the following leading and loyal citi- 
 zens, well known throughout Missouri, as to my conduct while in that 
 State : 
 
 Major R. L. Van Horn, commanding post at Kansas City, Missouri. 
 
 Dr. Thorne, Surgeon of Post at Kansas City. 
 
 Messrs. Carney & Co., Merchants, Kansas City. 
 
 Judge Bonton, Kansas City. 
 
 Hon. C. Hopkins, 
 
 C. S. Case, Quartermaster of Post. 
 
 Capt. Van Dorn, Kansas City. 
 
 Milton McGee, " 
 
 "William Miles, Marshal of Independence. 
 
 Hon. J. B. Perry, Independence. 
 
 Capt. Oliver, | 
 
 Lieut. Doyle, > of the Missouri 7th. 
 
 Capt. Howard, ) 
 
 Colonel Nugent, "| 
 
 Lieut. Col. Mawhiney, I 
 
 Major Dean, V all of the Missouri Home Guards, 
 
 Captain Stewart, 
 Captain Simpson, J 
 
 V 
 
Judge Wells, U. S. District Judge. 
 
 Judge Grover, of Criminal Court, St. Louis. 
 
 Dr. Stark, of St. Louis. 
 
 Dr. Hilguartner, St. Louis. 
 
 McGill & Fishback, Editors Missouri Democrat, St. Louis. 
 
 A word, and I close. 1 have done my duty. Before God and my 
 country, I fearlessly assert that. But I am willing to forget myself, if * 
 thereby I could advance the interests and uphold the character of the 
 resolute and intelligent men who have stood by me in this fearful con- 
 flict, now desolating the land. They have been true. They have fought 
 for Kansas, for Missouri, for the Union. They have fought amid peril 
 and privation, often bare-footed and without proper clothing, for 
 a longtime, without tents and without pay, for our common liberties, 
 and he is no patriot who brands them as robbers and marauders. 
 
 C. E. JENNISON. 
 
 Washingtok, D. C, May 16, 1862. 
 
LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 
 
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