KANSAS CITY, Monday, Aug. 24.

 

          Gen. EWIN has just returned from the pursuit of QUANTRELL's rebel force. It is estimated that he did not have over three hundred men at Lawrence. The guerrillas disbanded at the head or Grand River, some going South, some Northeast, and others scattering into the brush. Our forces have divided accordingly, and are pursuing the rebels. Continual skirmishing is going on. Lieut.-Col. LAZZEAR, with two squadrons of the First Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, had an engagement with a hundred guerrillas on Big Creek near Harrisonville, Missouri, killing five and capturing a considerable quantity of goods and horses taken from Lawrence. Thirty-one guerrillas have been killed as far at heard from. KANSAS CITY, Tuesday, Aug. 25. QUANTRELL's force reached the head waters of Grand River, Cass county, about noon on the day after the burning of Lawrence, and there divided into squads of forty and fifty and scattered in various directions. Our troops were half an hour behind and were also divided, and continued the pursuit. A detachment, ordered from Lexington, met part of the rebel force near Pleasant Hill, killed seven and recovered a considerable amount of the goods taken from Lawrence. A report has just been received that Maj. PLUMB and Maj. THATCHER overtook a company in Lafayette County and killed 30 of them. The total number of the guerrillas killed, according to last reports, is between 60 and 70. Our detachments are still in pursuit. It is ascertained that QUANTRELL's whole force consisted of three hundred selected men, who assembled from Lafayette, Saline, Clay, Johnson and the border counties, on Thursday noon, at the head of Middle Fork, Grand River, 15 miles from the Kansas line, and on the same day started for Kansas. Scouts brought word that afternoon to the military station at Aubrey, six miles north of the place where they crossed the line of their assembling on Grand River; and an hour after their entrance into Kansas other scouts brought word to that effect. The information was communicated at once to all the stations on the border, and to the District headquarters at Kansas City, 35 miles north of Aubrey. A delay of three or four hours occurred at each station in gathering a part of the patrolling and scouting parties, when the pursuit began from each station separately, leaving a portion of the troops to watch the border and endeavor to prevent QUANTRELL's return to Missouri. QUANTRELL's men told many persons before reaching Lawrence that they were going there to destroy the town, but by some strange fatality the people along the route, who might easily have got word to Lawrence, did not try. A messenger sent by Capt. COLEMAN to notify the people of Lawrence of QUANTRELL's approach, failed to get through. QUANTRELL obtained a supply of fresh horses at Lawrence, which enabled him to outstrip and elude the pursuit of our soldiers, whose horses were nearly exhausted, when they reached him six miles south of Lawrence. The citizens who joined in the pursuit, were able to keep up with the enemy, and often compelled him to halt and form in line of battle; but the soldiers could not force their jaded horses to gallop for charge, and the pursuit went on ineffectively. At night, QUANTRELL broke his trail near Paoli, and our troops were delayed all night in finding it. No damage was done by QUANTRELL from the time our forces came up with him until he got out of Kansas. The pursuit was so close that he was compelled to abandon most of the horses he was leading and the goods stolen from Lawrence.

 

ST. LOUIS, Tuesday, Aug. 25.

 

          The Union Merchants' Exchange passed a reso-a resolution to-day condoling with the citizens of Lawrence, and appointing a committee of 10 to collect contributions for the relief of the sufferers. Gen. SCHOFIELD has issued a stringent order against bushwhacking guerrillas, and giving permission to loyal citizens to bear arms for their own protection and to aid the troops, if necessary.

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