492 



MISSOURI. 



In testimony whereof this act is done, at Head-quar- 

 ters of the Western Department of the Army of the 

 United States, in the city of St. Louis, State of Mis- 

 souri, on the twelfth day of September, A. D. eighteen 

 hundred and sixty-one, and is evidenced by .the de- 

 partmental seal, hereto affixed by his order. 



J. C. FREMONT, 

 Major-General Commanding. 

 HEAD-QUARTERS, WESTERN DEPARTMENT. 

 Done at the office of the Provost-Marshal, in the city 

 of St. Louis, this twelfth day of September, A. D. one 

 thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, at nine o'clock 

 in the evening of said day. Witness my hand and 

 seal of office hereto affixed. J. McKINSTRY, 



Brigadier-General Provost-Marshal. 



A similar deed was given at the same time to 

 Hiram Reed, another slave belonging to Thos. 

 L. Snead. 



Under the operation of martial law, Provost- 

 Marshal McKinstry, on the 31st of August, is- 

 sued orders peremptorily forbidding any person 

 to pass beyond the limits of the county without 

 a special permit from his office, and railroad, 

 steamboat, ferry, and other agents were pro- 

 hibited from selling tickets to any one not 

 holding a pass from the provost-marshal. The 

 order was aimed specially to reach parties leav- 

 ing the city for the purpose of communicating 

 information to the enemy. (See MARTIAL LAW.) 



The month of September was passed by the 

 Federal commander chiefly in making prepara- 

 tions for future movements. His plan appears 

 to have been to advance on the southwestern 

 part of the State with such an overwhelming 

 military force as would compel the Confederate 

 commanders to evacuate Missouri and to re- 

 tire to the adjoining States for defence. A large 

 army from the northwest was therefore gath- 

 ered at St. Louis, and at the same time a line 

 of fortifications was commenced around it. The 

 object of this work was not to protect the city 

 in. consequence of any danger, at the time, of 

 capture by the enemy, but because, with such 

 a line of redoubts, redans, and 'lunettes, garri- 

 soned by a few hundred or a thousand troops, 

 and mounted with heavy artillery, the larger 

 part of the army could be spared for the south- 

 west expedition. Thus Gen. Fremont could as- 

 sume an aggressive position. 



The capture of Lexington and Col. Mulligan's 

 troops by Gen. Price, on the 21st of Sept., was 

 the most important affair to the Confederates 

 which occurred in the State. (See LEXIXGTON.) 

 It doubtless caused Gen. Fremont, on Sept. 27th, 

 to hasten from St. Louis to Jefferson City. On 

 the 3d of October the Confederates abandoned 

 Lexington, and as the Union force concen- 

 trated at Jefferson City, Gen. Price retired to 

 Springfield and still further south. His force 

 was variously estimated at this time at twenty 

 thousand men and upwards. The original pur- 

 pose of Gen. Price had been to move from 

 Lexington northward and destroy the railroad, 

 and then attack the Federal forces in North- 

 western Missouri, but the approach of Fremont 

 prevented its accomplishment. No one of the 

 Confederate generals sustained his position so 

 well as Gen. Price, with the slender resources 



at his command. It was necessarily, therefore, 

 a part of his system of operations to avoid a 

 doubtful conflict. Retiring produced no dis- 

 couragement upon his men. At the same time, 

 by retiring, he came nearer to Arkansas, from 

 whence he could expect supplies and reenforce- 

 ments, whilst the Federal force, on advancing, 

 would be removed further and further from its 

 chief source of supplies. The advance of Gen. 

 Fremont, in the southwest, was made in five 

 divisions, under Gens. Hunter, Pope, Siegel, As- 

 botli, and McKinstry. Each division was sub- 

 divided, and was composed of cavalry, artillery, 

 arid infantry, ambulances, &c., and whatever 

 was necessary to enable it to act independently. 

 Gen. Fremont accompanied the advance with 

 Gens. Siegel and Asboth. 



On the 14th of October he arrived at "War- 

 saw on the Osage River, sixty-five miles south- 

 west of Jefferson City, where he prepared to 

 cross by means of bridges. On the opposite 

 bank was a considerable Confederate cavalry 

 force at the time of his arrival, which was dis- 

 persed by canister-shot. The bridge was fin- 

 ished about the 21st, and on the 26th the troops 

 reached Bolivar. Gen. Fremont left on Sunday 

 with Gen. Siegel by forced marches, for Spring- 

 field. Gen. McKinstry still continued at War- 

 saw with the reserve, and Gen. Pope was on 

 the other side of the Osage. Gen. Hnnter was 

 with the right wing advancing, and Gen. Stur- 

 gis with the left. On the 27th Gen. Fremont 

 arrived at Springfield, where the national flag 

 was displayed by the people with every dem- 

 onstration of joy. On the 25th the brilliant 

 charge was made by Major Zagonyi with a hun- 

 dred and fifty of Gen. Fremont's Body Guard 

 upon a force of the enemy about half a mile 

 west of the town, by which the enemy were 

 dispersed. (See SPRINGFIELD.) 



The retreat of Gen. Price had been steadily 

 in advance of the Union troops. On the 13th 

 he was at Clintonville, Cedar County, twenty- 

 five miles south of Papinsville, on the Carthage 

 road. His entire army had passed the Osage. 

 On the 17th he was expected by the Union 

 general to make a stand, and again on the 19th. 

 On the 24th he was at Nesho, in Newton 

 County, and had united with Gen. McCulloch. 

 The Legislature of the State had convened here 

 at this time. Only a small number of members 

 were present. In Northwestern Missouri, Col. 

 Morgan, on the 19th, with 220 of the Eigh- 

 teenth Missouri had a skirmish with a larger 

 Confederate force at Big Harrison Creek in 

 Carrol County. Fourteen of the enemy were 

 reported to have been killed, and eight were 

 taken prisoners. The Federal loss was two 

 killed and fourteen wounded. On the 21st the 

 Confederate garrison at Fredericktown was sur- 

 prised by a portion of the First Missouri Regi- 

 ment, and the town recaptured. 



In Southwestern Missouri, a skirmish took 

 place near Lebanon on the 13th of October be- 

 tween two companies of mounted men under 

 Major Wright and a small body of secession 



