660 



ST. LOUIS. 



art and taste. Beaufort, or St. Helena district 

 or parish, for it is called by each of these 

 names, contained, in 1860, a population of 

 40,052 inhabitants, of whom 32,531 were slaves. 

 By way of Scull Creek, which divides Pinck- 

 ney Island from Hilton Head, Savannah is 

 only 22 miles distant ; while, by way of Beau- 

 fort Kiver, which separates Parry Island from 

 St. Helena, there is an interior route of 49 

 miles to Charleston ; while, at a distance of 

 about 20 miles inland, lies the Charleston and 

 Savannah Railroad. On the capture of the 

 islands the white population, being mostly 

 sympathizers with secession, retreated inland, 

 and have not since returned in any considerable 

 numbers. About 10,000, or nearly one-third 

 of the slaves, have come into the Federal lines, 

 and are now mostly employed either in the cul- 

 tivation of the soil or in the labor requisite 

 about the ships and forts. 



ST. LOUIS is the chief city west of the Mis- 

 sissippi Eiver, on the right bank of which it is 

 located, at a distance of twenty miles below 

 the mouth of the Missouri River, one hun- 

 dred and seventy-four miles above the mouth 

 of the Ohio, and eleven hundred and ninety- 

 four miles above New Orleans. It is a most 

 important commercial point. The first incident 

 arising out of the irritating state of affairs in 

 the country, to occasion any special excitement 

 in this great and populous city, occurred on the 

 llth of January. The United States sub-treas- 

 urer, then having in his custody all the public 

 money in the city, and naturally anxious for 

 the safety of his important trust, from abun- 

 dant, or perhaps superabundant caution, con- 

 ceived that his duty required of him some se- 

 curity for his treasure beyond the ordinary one 

 of locks and bolts. He therefore requested of 

 the Government the presence of a small guard 

 of soldiers from the neighboring barracks, 

 where they were unemployed ; and in com- 

 pliance with this application the Secretary of 

 "War directed that such a guard should be fur- 

 nished. This led to a telegraphic despatch, 

 through the country, that troops had taken 

 possession of .the sub-treasury, post-office, and 

 custom-house, by order of the Government, 

 and occasioned an unusual excitement, as indi- 

 cating a purpose on the part of the Government 

 to use its military power. 



On the 26th of April, twenty-one thousand 

 stand of arms were removed from the arsenal 

 and taken to Springfield in Illinois. Subse- 

 quently troops were enlisted to the number of 

 fifteen hundred to protect the property. 



On the 16th of May, the brigade of State 

 militia under Gen. Frost surrendered to Gen. 

 Lyon, an officer in the United States service. 

 A camp of instruction had been formed under 

 Gen. Frost in the western suburbs of the city, 

 in pursuance of orders from the Governor of 

 the State. He had directed the other militia 

 districts also to go into encampments with a 

 view of acquiring a greater proficiency in mili- 

 tary drill. It had been reported to Gen. Frost, 



that Gen. Lyon intended to attack him, and on 

 the other hand, it had been reported to Gen. 

 Lyon that it was the intention of Gen. Frost to 

 attack the arsenal and United States troops. 

 On the 16th, Gen. Frost addressed a note to 

 Gen. Lyon alluding to these reports, and 

 saying : 



I would be glad to know from you personally whether 

 there is any truth in the statements that are constantly 

 poured into my ears. So far as regards any hostility 

 being intended towards the United States, or its prop- 

 erty or representatives, by any portion of rny com- 

 mand, or, as far as I can learn, (and I think I am fully 

 informed,) of any other part of the State forces, I can 

 say positively that the idea has never been entertained. 

 On the contrary, prior to your taking command of the 

 arsenal, I proffered to Major Bell, then in command 

 of the very few troops constituting its guard, the ser- 

 vice of myself and all my command, and, if necessary, 

 the whole power of the State to protect the United 

 States in the full possession of all her property. Upon 

 Gen. Harney's taking command of this department, I 

 made the same proffer of services to him, and author- 

 ized his adjutant-general, Capt. Williams, to commu- 

 nicate the fact that such had been done to the War De- 

 partment. I have had no occasion since to change any 

 of the views I entertained at that time, neither of my 

 own volition nor through the orders of my constitu- 

 tional commander. 



About the same time, Gen. Lyon's troops 

 were put in motion, to the number, as was 

 represented, of four or five thousand, and pro- 

 ceeded through the city, to the camp of Gen. 

 Frost, and surrounded it, planting batteries on 

 all the heights overlooking the camp. Long 

 files of men were stationed in platoons at va- 

 rious points on every side, and a picket guard 

 established, covering an area of two hundred 

 yards. The guards, with fixed bayonets and 

 muskets at half-cock, were instructed to allow 

 none to pass or repass within the limits thus 

 taken up. 



By this time an immense crowd of people had 

 assembled in the vicinity, having gone thither 

 in carriages, buggies, rail cars, baggage wagons, 

 on horseback, and on foot. Numbers of men 

 seized rifles, shot-guns, or whatever other 

 weapons they could lay hands on, and rushed 

 to the assistance of the State troops, but were, 

 of course, obstructed in their design. The 

 hills, of which there are a number in the neigh- 

 borhood, were literally black with people hun- 

 dreds of ladies and children stationing them- 

 selves with the throng, but as they thought 

 out of harm's way. 



Having arrived in this position, Gen. Lyon. 

 addressed a letter to Gen. Frost saying : 

 To General D. Jf. frost : 



SIR : Your command is regarded as evidently hostile 

 towards the Government of "the United States". It is; 

 for the most part, made up of those secessionists who 

 have openly avowed their hostility to the General 

 Government, and have been plotting the seizure of its 

 property and the overthrow of its authority. You are 

 openly in communication with the so-called Southern 

 Confederacy, which is now at war with the United 

 States ; and you are receiving, at your camp, from the 

 said Confederacy, under its flag, large supplies of ma- 

 terial of war, most of which is known to be the prop- 

 erty of the United States. 



These extraordinary preparations plainly indicate 

 none other than the well-known purpose of the Gov- 



