MISSOURI. 



485 



purpose by legislative enactment, he has already com- 

 mitted treason by levying war against the United 

 States. He has endeavored to have you commit the 

 same crime. Hence he has called for troops to enter 

 the military service of the State, not to aid, but to op- 

 pose the Government of the United States. 



The troops under my command are stationed in your 

 midst by the proper authority of our Government. 

 They are amongst you not as enemies, but as friends 

 and protectors of all loyal citizens. Should an insur- 

 rection of your slaves take place, it would he my duty 

 to suppress it, and I should use the force at my com- 

 mand for that purpose. It is my duty to protect all 

 loyal citizens in the enjoyment and possession of all 

 their property, slaves included. That duty shall be 

 performed. 



I require all troops and armed men in this part of 

 the State now assembled, and which are arrayed 

 against the Government of the United States, to imme- 

 diately disperse and return to their homes. If this 

 shall not be done without delay, those hordes of armed 

 men will be taken prisoners or dispersed. I request 

 every citizen who acknowledges he owes allegiance to 

 the United States to aid me to prevent the shedding of 

 blood and to restore peace and quiet to this portion of 

 the State. 



Those who have manifested a want of loyalty, either 

 by word or act, towards the Government of the United 

 States, are requested to appear before me, or any officer 

 in commandofanypostor any detachmentof troops under 

 my command, and take an oath of allegiance to our Gov- 

 ernment. Gross misrepresentations of the oath which 

 has already been administered to many of your most 

 respectable citizens have been made. No loyal citizen 

 will decline to take such an oath. It is the duty of 

 every good citizen to bear allegiance to the Govern- 

 ment and to support the Constitution of the United 

 States, not to encourage secession by word or act, and 

 to obey all legal orders emanating from the constituted 

 authorities of the land. ?>o loyal citizen will bear 

 arms against his Government or give aid and support 

 to the enemies of the country. Such, in brief, are the 

 obligations required. 



I assure you the Government of the United States 

 will deal leniently yet firmly with all its citizens who 

 have been misled, and who desire to maintain and pre- 

 serve the best Government ever devised by human 

 wisdom. T. W. SWEENY, U. S. A., 



Brigadier-General Commanding. 



On. the 16th Gen. Lyon reached Springfield, 

 his command being then ten miles north of the 

 town, and having been increased by the addi- 

 tion of the force nnder Gen. Sturgis. On the 

 20th orders were given to Gen. Sweeny with 

 twelve hundred men, to break up a secession 

 camp located at Forsyth, about fifty miles south 

 of Springfield. The troops consisted of two 

 companies of dragoons, a section of a battery, 

 a part of the First Iowa and the Second Kansas 

 regiments, and some mounted Kansas Volun- 

 teers. They reached their destination at two 

 p. M. on Monday, just in time to see the enemy 

 rapidly retiring. Blankets, rifles, provisions, 

 and a large quantity of lead were captured. 



On the 1st of August Gen. Lyon ordered his 

 entire command, with the exception of a small 

 guard, to rendezvous at Crane's Creek, ten 

 miles south of Springfield. The command was 

 composed as follows : five companies First and 

 Second regiments Regulars, Major Sturgis. Five 

 companies First Regiment Missouri Volunteers, 

 Lieut.-Col. Andrews. Two companies Second 

 Regiment Missouri Volunteers, Major Oster- 

 hous. Three companies Third Regiment Mis- 



souri Volunteers, Col. . Fifth Regiment 



Missouri Volunteers, Col. Salomon. First Regi- 

 ment Iowa Volunteers, Col. J. F. Bates. First 

 Regiment Kansas Volunteers, Col. Deitzler. 

 Second Regiment Kansas Volunteers, Col. 

 Mitchell. Two companies First Regular Caval- 

 ry, Captains Stanley and Carr. Three compa- 

 nies First Regular Cavalry, (recruits,) Lieut. 

 Lathrop. Captain I. Totten's battery Regular 

 Artillery, sis gnns, six and twelve-pounders. 

 Lieut. Dubois' battery Regular Artillery, four 

 guns, six and twelve-pounders. Captain Shaef- 

 fer's battery Missouri Volunteer Artillery, six 

 guns, six and twelve pounders. 



Brigadier-Generals Sweeny, Siegel, and Ma- 

 jor Sturgis were intrusted with the most im- 

 portant subsidiary commands. 



The march commenced that afternoon, and 

 the camp reached about ten o'clock that night. 

 The next morning the march was resumed, and 

 about five o'clock that afternoon a body of the 

 enemy were overtaken, when a brisk inter- 

 change of shots between the skirmishers took 

 place. Upon this, a body of the enemy's in- 

 fantry, about five hundred in number, ap- 

 proached, apparently with the design of cutting 

 off an advanced body of the Federal infantry. 

 Several volleys were interchanged, when a 

 charge was made by a body of regulars. The 

 enemy's ranks were thus broken, and they re- 

 treated. The place of this skirmish was Dug 

 Springs. The march was continued as far as 

 Curran, twenty-six miles from Springfield, but 

 the heat of the weather, shortness of provi- 

 sions, and the fact that a strong Confederate 

 force was posted in front, and a large division 

 had also moved in the direction of Sarcoxie, 

 while it was necessary that communication 

 should be kept open to Springfield, led Gen. 

 Lyon to determine to return to that town. 



State troops under Gen. Price were collected 

 in the southwestern counties, and encountered 

 Gen. Lyon at Wilson's Creek, where a battle 

 was fought, in which he lost his life, on the 

 10th of August. Gens. McCulloch and Price 

 commanded the State troops and some Con- 

 federate forces from Arkansas. The locality of 

 this battle is near Springfield, and it is called 

 both Wilson's Creek and Oak Hill. (See WIL- 

 SON'S CREEK.) 



In the northern counties of Missouri there 

 was the same division of sentiment, which was 

 rapidly arousing a hostile spirit. Squads of 

 troops from Illinois were soon stationed at im- 

 portant places, while State troops gathered to 

 oppose them. The destruction of property and 

 bloody skirmishes soon followed. At Monroe 

 station, thirty miles west of Hannibal, an at- 

 tack was made by secession troops, on July 

 llth, on the railroad station-house, which was 

 burned with six passenger and eighteen freight 

 cars. A portion of the railroad track was torn 

 up on each side of the town. On the same 

 night the bridge of the Hannibal and St. Jo- 

 sephs Railroad was burned. On the 15th Brig.- 

 Gen. Hurlburt, in command of the volunteer 



