Lawrence was to sift down these rumors, and find out how much truth there was in them, and above all to impress on the officers in charge of the different posts the necessity of eternal vigilance. But the blow fell just before Lawrence reached Lexington. Lieutenant Colonel Buell, in command at Independence, although repeatedly warned, allowed himself to be surprised. His forces were divided and not well posted, and after a spirited fight Buell surrendered, and with him about three hundred men were taken prisoners. The Confederate commander, Colonel Hughes, was killed in the action. The capture of Independence greatly elated the guerrillas, and recruits came pouring in by the hundreds. They now only awaited the arrival of Colonel Coffee from the south and they would move on to Lexington. When Lawrence arrived at Lexington he found the place in the wildest excitement. Rumors said that the enemy numbered thousands, and that they were already marching on the place. Lawrence acted quickly. He applied to the commander of the post for a detail of ten men, dressed in citizen clothes. "Tell them," he said, "it is for a scout, so they will not be deceived as to the danger of the undertaking." The ten men were easily procured, and, headed by Lawrence and Dan, started. The object was to find out the strength of the enemy under Coffee, and whether he could not be prevented from forming a union with the forces which had captured Independence. The scout was far more successful than Lawrence could have hoped. Representing themselves as coming from north of the river, they had no trouble in meeting on friendly terms several small parties of guerrillas with whom they fell in. They were all on their way to join Thompson, who was now in command of the forces which had captured Independence. Everyone expected Lexington would be the next to fall, and they were all anxious to have a hand in the affair. Lawrence represented they were to find Coffee and hurry him up. At length they were fortunate enough to fall in with a single guerrilla who was sitting by the side of the road, making the air blue with his curses. "What's the matter?" asked Lawrence. "My hoss stepped into a hole and threw me, and I have broken my leg," he groaned. "That's bad," said Lawrence. "I will see what I can do for you." "Yes, it's bad, and I was on my way from Colonel Coffee to Colonel Thompson." "Ah! were you? Perhaps I can help you. I can send one of my men with the message. What was it?" "That he would camp near Lone Jack on the evening of the fifteenth, and wanted Thompson to join him thar." "How many men has Coffee?" Lawrence asked. "About a thousand, but more are coming in all the time."