This string in Official Records was interesting. I am wondering if anyone can embellish with some of the back story or additional perspectives on this incident. Was Ridgeway as nefarious as implied or was he being unfairly impugned for his abolitionist activity?
__________________

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CENTRAL MISSOURI,
Jefferson, January 22, 1864.
Maj. O. D. GREENE,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., Department of the Missouri:
MAJOR : I have the honor to report that on the l5th instant I received the following dispatch from Lexington : Kansas troops are in the country robbing the citizens of their property of every description. This company is under the command of Lieutenant Ridgway and has been stationed at Sibley.
R. C. VAUGHAN,
Brigadier-General, Enrolled Missouri Militia.
.
I immediately telegraphed Colonel McFerran at Warrensburg and Captain Meredith at Lexington to send a military force sufficient to arrest the parties, if possible, and send them to these headquarters. Colonel McFerran telegraphs me that Ridgway was in Greenton Valley yesterday carrying on his depredations. If my troops fail in arresting him, I respectfully ask that he be ordered under arrest and sent to these headquarters. If a collision is brought on between the Kansas and Missouri troops it will not be my fault, but it is time that an end was put to their robberies under the cloak of freeing negroes. If Kansas wants negroes I will send 500 women and children to that State in two days, as they are a great annoyance to me, and everybody wants them removed. But they do not want them; they want the property the negroes carry off and the opportunity of taking it by coming into the State.
I am, very truly, your obedient servant,
E. B, BROWN,
Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding.
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CENTRAL MISSOURI,
Jefferson City, January 22, 1864.
.
Maj. O. D. GREENE,
Assistant Adjutant- General, Saint Louis :
MAJOR : I have the honor to report that a body of about 50 men have made their appearance on the line of Jackson County, about 7 miles northwest of Chapel Hill, who are reported to belong to Blunt's and Todd's guerrilla bands. On the 16th they were pursued by a company of First Missouri State Militia and dispersed. Search was made for them on the 17th and 18th. but no trace could be found. I have reason to believe that these parties are from the Kansas border, and have impersonated Blunt's and Todd's bands.
I am, truly, your obedient servant,
E. B. BROWN,
Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding.
.
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CENTRAL MISSOURI,
Jefferson City, January 22, 18G4.
Col. JAMES MCFERRAN,
Commanding Third Sub-District, Warrensburg :
COLONEL : Please make a rigid inquiry as to the authority for be lieving that the camp and force reported as being north of Chapel Hill by Lieutenant Couch is Blunt's or Todd's guerrillas. I should not be surprised if you learned that it was Union thieves and not rebels. You will probably find it necessary to keep your command in the field, and the district of country on the west side of La Fayette thoroughly and constantly scouted.
I am, truly, yours,
E. B. BROWN,
Brigadier- General of Volunteers, Commanding.
.
HDQRS. FIRST CAVALRY, MISSOURI STATE MILITIA,
Warrensburg, Mo., January 25, 1864.
[General E. B. BROWN :]
GENERAL : I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of Captain Meredith's report of the Ridgway raid, also copies of Orders, Nos. 2, 5, and 18, issued at these headquarters. I have directed Company I to take station between Chapel Hill and Wellington, and, in connection with Companies C at Chapel Hill, and at Wellington, thoroughly patrol and scout the western boundary of La Fayette.
I have stationed Company I at Kingsville, on the western boundary of this county, with instructions to thoroughly scout the western boundary of this county. I have hopes that these arrangements mav serve to protect the people of this sub-district from incursions of Kansas troops and Red Legs. No other news of interest.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JAMES McFERRAN,
First Cav., Comdg. Sub-Dist. of Central Dist. of Mo.
.
[Inclosure No. 1.]
HEADQUARTERS POST,
Lexington, Mo., January 22, 1864.
Col. JAMES MCFERRAN,
Comdg. Third Sub-District, Central District of Missouri :
COLONEL : I have the honor to report to you that I left this post on the night of the 20th. in command of part of Companies G and H, First Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, and proceeded by way of Wellington up as far as the Jackson County line. I found the citizens greatly alarmed. Some had left their homes for fear of being killed. From what I learned it appears that Lieutenant Ridgway, with from 40 to 60 men, made a raid through this county for no other purpose than to rob and plunder. They commenced their hellish work in the vicinity of Greenton ; robbed quite a number of men of money, clothing, watches. They then proceeded to the neighbor hood of Renick s, near the Jackson County line. They took from Renick's three yoke of cattle, a valuable gold watch, some $40 in money, and quite a number of negroes. They tied one Mr. Musselman s hands behind him and took from him $299, and divided the money in his presence. They committed a great many other outrages, too numerous to mention. They came into Greenton on the same day, and after my scout, under command of Lieutenant Groomer and Sergeant Atterbury, had left the neighborhood. They had done the devilment and left before I was apprised of their being in the county. Renick and Musselman came into town, and, in place of reporting to me, reported to General Brown by telegraph. When I found the Kansas troops had all left the county, I left a part of my command on the line of Jackson County as a patrol, with orders to arrest any parties that might come into La Fayette County, and returned to this place by way of Greenton.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM MEREDITH,
Captain. Commanding Post.
.
[Inclosure No. 2.]
GENERAL ORDERS, / HDQRS. FIRST CAV., Mo. STATE MIL.,
No. 2. Warrensburg, Mo., January 14, 1864.
II. The manifest disregard of private rights in some localities and the total or partial suspension of the civil authorities in others demands that the military authorities should extend protection to the citizens to prevent waste, trespass, and injury to private property. It is therefore ordered that until the civil authority resumes its wonted vigor, all persons be, and they are hereby, prohibited from trespassing upon private property. Citizens and soldiers are strictly prohibited from burning fence rails and destroying fences and defacing houses and buildings, under penalty, if a citizen, of being: arrested and held for trial on the requisition of the civil authority, and, if a soldier, of being arrested and punished for violation of orders. All station and post commanders, officers, and non-commissioned officers, are charged with the enforcement of this order. All well disposed persons, citizens and soldiers, are enjoined promptly to report persons violating this order.
By order of James McFerran. colonel First Cavalry Missouri State
Militia, commanding regiment and Third Sub-District :
THOS. DOYLE,
Adjutant.
.
HDQRS. FIRST CAVALRY MISSOURI STATE MILITIA,
Warrensbury, Mo., January 20, 1864.
General E. B. BROWN,
Commanding Central District of Missouri:
GENERAL: I have the honor to state that Captain Meredith reports that a detachment of his command have recaptured a part of the property taken by the Kansas men in La Fayette, viz, 2 horses and a wagon, and have returned the same to the owner, a widow lady by the name of Robinson. (Gooly Robinson's widow? Jrbakerjr)
JAMES McFERRAN,
Colonel First Cavalry, Missouri State Militia,
Comdg. Third Sub-Dist. of Central Dist. of Missouri.