Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed – from the site of the “Palmyra Massacre”

 Autograph Letter Signed, 7 ¼” x 9 ¼”, from the northeastern Missouri post most dubiously remembered for the Palmyra Massacre of later in the year, concerning the conveyance of prisoners to the provost marshal in St. Louis.  

"Head Quarters, Palmyra, M[iss]o[uri], 9^th January – 1862. 

Lieut[enant] Charles Knowles;

You are hereby ordered to take the members of Co[mpany]s C.D.F.G. & H. now in Palmyra, and take them as an escort to the prisoners, that will be entrusted to Your Charge.  Go to St. Louis via Hudson & N.M. Rail Road.  They will take their equipments & 3 days cooked rations in their Haversacks.

When You shall have delivered your prisoners into the hands of the Provost  Martial [sic] of St. Louis, You will march the men to the Depot of the Pacific R[ail] Road & by the first train send the men to join their Co[mpany]s at the town of Syracuse, there reporting to Lieut[enant] Col[onel] Gildbert, You will return without delay to your Co[mpany] here. 

John Groesbeck, Col[onel] Comm[an]d[in]g Post.”

Lightly and evenly toned, with the expected folds.