ARKANSAS REORGANIZED BY UNIONISTS. his ground stubbornly for hours, but gained no advantage; and Dobbins was just forming his men for a decisive charge, when Carmichael charged through them and joined Brooks; when our men assumed the offensive. Unhappily, Col. Brooks was killed, with Capt. Lembké, of his battery, Adj. Pratt, and Surgeon Stoddard: so our forces fell back to Helena, followed part way by Dobbins, but not again attacked. Our loss in this affair was 50; that of the enemy was reported at 150. Next day, at the other side of the State, Gen. Gano, with 1,500 Rebels, surprised an outpost of Fort Smith, held by Capt. Mefford, with 200 of the 5th Kansas, whom he captured, with 82 of his men, after we had lost 10 killed, 15 wounded, to 12 killed, 20 wounded of the enemy. of course, got away before he could be reached from Fort Smith. Gano, Next month, Shelby, with some 2,000 men, struck" the line of railroad between Duvall's bluff and Little Rock, capturing most of the 54th Illinois, who were guarding three stations. Col. Mitchell was reported among the killed. Steele's advance to and capture of Little Rock the preceding Autumn, with the failure of the Rebels even to attempt its recovery, had been accepted by the Unionists of Arkansas as conclusive of the inability of the foe to regain their lost ascendency in their State. Accordingly, a Union meeting of citizens was held at Little Rock," followed by others; and, ultimately, a Union State Constitutional Convention had been assembled:" wherein 42 out of Aug. 23. 49 Nov. 12, 1863. 60 Jan. 8, 1864. 48 52 555 the 54 counties were represented. This Convention had framed a new Constitution, whereby Slavery was forever prohibited. Dr. Isaac Murphy-the only member of the Convention of 1861 who had held out to the last against Secession-had been designated Provisional Governor, and duly inaugurated," with C. C. Bliss, Lieut.-Governor, and R. J. T. White, Secretary of State. This Constitution was submitted to a vote of the people and ratified " by 12,177 votes for, to 226 against it. State officers, three members of Congress, a Legislature, and local officers, were at the same time elected. The Legislature met, and elected" U. S. Senators. The Unionists had fondly supposed every thing 'restored' that should be, so far as their State was concerned; until Steele's reverses in and retreat from the south, with the triumphant advance on his heels of the Rebel armies, surrendered twothirds of her area to the enemy; whose cavalry, avoiding our few strongholds, careered at will over the open country, foraging on the already needy non-combatants, and dealing vengeance on the 'traitors' and 'renegades' who had declared for the Union. In the Autumn, the Rebel Legislature met at Washington, listened to a message from their Governor, Hannigan, and chose A. P. Garland over Albert Pike to represent them in the Confederate Senate. 54 This practical surrender of the State to the Rebels, throughout the year following Steele's retreat from Camden, need not and should not have been. But Steele, who was continued in command, never struck 51 Jan. 22. 63 March 14. April 25. 64 Sept. 22. one hearty blow at the Rebellion | heartily than Rebels, and standing where he could, with a decent regard ready to join Price's army should it for appearances, avoid it. Identified appear in the State the ensuing Sumin principle and sympathy with the mer, as was expected. Rosecrans enemy. on every point but that of looked into the matter, and sided Disunion, his powerful influence was generally with the Radicals; finding thrown against the Emancipation the great slaveholding counties on the policy of the Government; and, river still infected with the Rebel while he was hail-fellow with the spirit, and thousands eagerly awaitSecession aristocracy of the State, ing the day when their party should he was a sorrow and a scourge to again have the upper hand, and be the hearty, unconditional upholders able to avenge some of the indigniof the Union. Hence, Unionism did ties and wrongs they had suffered at not flourish under his rule; hence, the hands of the Unionists. Continthe Rebel cavalry and guerrillas uing his inquiries, and gradually inroamed almost at will over the State, sinuating his spies into the secret never fearing aught from his vigilance councils or lodges of the disloyal, he or his zeal for the National cause; became satisfied that they were everyand hence the forces under his com- where organized, to the number of mand, though amply sufficient to many thousands, as 'The Order of have held all of the State north of the American Knights,' or 'Sons of LibWashita, and repelled all gainsayers, erty,' whereof the Grand Commandwere little better than wasted. ers were Sterling Price in the South and C. L. Vallandigham in the North; and that an invasion of Missouri by Price, whom 23,000 members of this order were sworn to join on his ap Gen. Rosecrans, having been appointed to the command of the Department of Missouri, found, on his arrival at St. Louis," the State agi-pearance, was part of a general protated by a feud that threatened trouble. In addition to his force of perhaps 12,000 men-mainly State Militia, who were liable to service only in Missouri-there were, in the north-western counties, some 2,800 "provisionally enrolled militia" (by the Radicals called "Paw-Paws "), who were " Conservative' in their sympathies, either having been hitherto in the Rebel service, or belonging to Rebel families, or having otherwise evinced sympathy with the Rebels. These had been enrolled for neighborhood or special service and were accused, by their Radical neighbors, of fighting Abolitionists' more 60 gramme, which contemplated an invasion also of the North, and a formidable uprising of Rebel sympathizers in the North-West. He first learned through his spies in the Rebel lodges that Vallandigham was soon to return openly from Canada to Ohio, and be sent thence to the Democratic National Convention at Chicago. He further discovered that arms were extensively coming into the State, and going into the hands of those suspected of Rebel sympathies; and he transmitted to Washington urgent representations that perils environed him, which required an augmentation of his force. Gen. Hunt was Jan, 28, 1864. 56 From the paw-paw, a wild fruit whereon 'bushwhackers' were said to subsist. PRICE'S LAST MISSOURI RAID. 557 thereupon sent to Missouri by Gen. | followed by guerrilla outrages and Grant, and traversed the State on a raids in the western river counties. tour of observation; returning strong in the belief that Rosecrans's apprehensions were excessive, and that no more force was needed in this depart ment. Still, Rosecrans, without encouragement from Washington, prosecuted his investigations; and, upon evidence that, at a recent meeting of one of the lodges aforesaid, a resolve had been offered, and laid over, to commence operations in St. Louis by assassinating the provost-marshal and attempting to seize the department headquarters, he arrested the State commander, deputy commander, grand secretary, lecturer, and some 30 or 40 leading members of the secret organization, and lodged them in prison. 68 These were but forerunners of the long meditated Rebel invasion, whereof Gen. Washburne, commanding at Memphis, gave the first distinct warning; apprising Rosecrans that Shelby, then at Batesville, northwestern Arkansas, was about to be joined by Price; when the advance would begin. Gen. A. J. Smith was then passing up the river to rëenforce Sherman in northern Georgia, when he was halted" at Cairo by order from Halleck, and sent to St. Louis to strengthen Rosecrans. Price entered south-eastern Missouri by way of Poplar bluffs and Bloomfield; advancing unresisted to Pilot Knob, where he was first withstood" by a brigade, commanded by Gen. Hugh S. Ewing. Here were Fort Davidson and some other rude works; and Ewing made an obstinate stand, inflicting a loss of not less than 1,000 men on the raiders, while his own was but about 200. Still, as Price had not less than 10,000 men against 1,200, and as a day's desultory fighting had given the enemy possession of some of the steep hills overlooking the fort, Ewing— who had signally repulsed two assaults-wisely decided not to await inevitable capture, but, spiking his heavy guns and blowing up his maga The State commander aforesaid being the Belgian Consul at St. Louis, Rosecrans soon received, by telegraph from the War Department, an order to liberate him, with which he declined to comply; representing that it would not have been given had the Government been in possession of the facts known to him, and which he had dispatched by a trusty hand to Washington. And, that evidence having been received and read by the President, the order of release was countermanded. The urgent exactions of the pub-zine, escaped during the night; taklic service in other quarters having stripped Missouri of nearly or quite all troops but her own militia, Rosecrans sought and obtained authority to raise ten regiments of twelvemonths' men for the exigency; when a Rebel outbreak occurred " in Platte county, in the north-west, quickly 57 July 7. 67 58 Sept. 3. ing the road westward to Rolla through Caledonia and Webster his more natural line of retreat on Mineral Point and Potosi being already in the enemy's possession. At Webster, he turned abruptly north, and struck the South-western Railroad at Harrison; having made 66 6o Sept. 27. 69 Sept. 6. 60 miles in 39 hours, though badly encumbered by fugitives. Here his weary men were sharply assailed by a column under Shelby, which had been pursuing them; but, though short of ammunition, Ewing held his ground firmly some 30 hours, until relieved by Col. Beveridge, 17th Illinois cavalry, sent from Rolla by Gen. McNeil to his assistance. Shelby then drew off, and Ewing proceeded at his leisure to Rolla. Rosecrans remained at St. Louis —the point of greatest consequence, if not of greatest danger-working night and day to collect a force able to cope in a fair field with Price's veterans and the 'Sons of Liberty,' who were pledged to join him—a pledge which they but partially redeemed. For a week or so, the Rebels seemed to have the upper hand; and this created a violent eruption of treasonable guerrilla raids and burn 61 Rosecrans, in his official report, says: "While Ewing's fight was going on, Shelby advanced to Potosi, and thence to Big river bridge, threatening Gen. Smith's advance; which withdrew from that point to within safer supporting distance of his main position at De Soto. Previous to and pending these events, the guerrilla warfare in north Missouri had been waging with redoubled fury. Rebel agents, amnestyoath-takers, recruits, 'sympathizers,' O. A. K.s, and traitors of every hue and stripe, had warmed into life at the approach of the great invasion. Women's fingers were busy making clothes for Rebel soldiers out of goods plundered by the guerrillas; women's tongues were busy telling Union neighbors 'their time was now coming. Gen. Fisk, with all his force, had been scouring the bush for weeks in the river counties, in pursuit of hostile bands, composed largely of recruits from among that class of inhabitants who claim protection, yet decline to perform the full duties of citizens, on the ground that they 'never tuck no sides.' A few facts will convey some idea of this warfare, carried on by Confederate agents here, while the agents abroad of their bloody and hypocritical despotism-Mason, Slidell, and Mann, in Europe-have the effrontery to tell the nations of Christendom that our government 'carries on the war with increasing ferocity, regardless of the laws of civilized warfare.' These gangs of Rebels, ings in the pro-Slavery strongholds of central Missouri." As the Rebel army was mainly mounted, it not only moved with greater celerity than the most of its antagonists could, but was able to mask its intentions, and threaten at once our dépôts at St. Louis, Rolla, and Jefferson City. But time was on our side; as Gen. Mower was on his way from Little Rock, with 5,000 veterans; five regiments of hundred-day men (who had already served out their term) were coming from Illinois to garrison St. Louis; and the militia of eastern Missouri was coming out, to the number of perhaps 5,000 more. Unless Price could strike at once some decisive, damaging blow, which would cripple Rosecrans, paralyze his efforts to raise militia, and call every latent Secessionist into the saddle, he must inevitably decamp and flee for his life. whose families had been living in peace among their loyal neighbors, committed the most cold blooded and diabolical murders, such as riding up to a farm-house, asking for water, and, while receiving it, shooting down the giveran aged, inoffensive farmer-because he was a radical Union man.' In the single sub-district of Mexico, the commanding officer furnished a list of near one hundred Union men who, in the course of six weeks, had been killed, maimed, or 'run off,' because they were 'radical Union men,' or Abolitionists. About the 1st of September, Anderson's gang attacked a railroad train on the North Missouri road, took from it 22 unarmed soldiers, many on sick leave, and, after robbing, placed them in a row and shot them in cold blood; some of the bodies they scalped, and put others across the track and run the engine over them. On the 27th, this gang, with numbers swollen to 300 or 400 men, attacked Major Johnson, with about 120 of the 39th Missouri volunteer infantry, raw recruits, and, after stampeding their horses, shot every man, most of them in cold blood. Anderson, a few days later, was recognized by Gen. Price, at Booneville, as a Confederate captain, and, with a verbal admonition to behave himself, ordered by Colonel Maclane, chief of Price's staff, to proceed to north Missouri and destroy the railroads; which orders were found on the miscreant when killed by Lt.-Col. Cox, about the 27th of October." PRICE THREATENS JEFFERSON CITY. 63 559 06 San Gen. Pleasanton now arrived, " and assumed command; dispatching Gen. Sanborn with the cavalry to follow and harass the enemy, so as to delay him, if possible, until Gen. A. J. Smith could overtake him. born attacked the Rebel rear-guard at Versailles, and drove it into line of battle; thus ascertaining that the enemy were heading for Booneville; but, being nearly surrounded by them, he fell back to California; where Col. Cutherwood, with A. J. Smith's cavalry and some much-needed supplies, joined him on the 14th. The enemy, advancing by Potosi | glimpse of the men behind them, across the Meramec to Richwoods, with the lesson of Pilot Knob fresh seemed to threaten St. Louis, only in his mind, he concluded not to at40 miles distant; but this was a feint tack, but, after giving time for his only, or was seen, on closer observa- train to move around the city and tion, to be too hazardous: so, burn- get a start on the road westward, he ing the railroad bridge over the Me- drew off and followed it. ramec, at Moselle, he turned northwestward:" Gen. A. J. Smith, with 4,500 infantry and 1,500 cavalry, following him vigilantly but cautiously. Burning Herman "--an intensely 'Radical' German settlement on the Missouri-and the railroad bridge over the Gasconade; fording the Gasconade near Fredericksburg and the Osage at Castle Rock," burning the railroad bridge here, he appeared before Jefferson City; which Gens. McNeil and Sanborn, with all the men they could mount, had just reached by forced marches from Rolla: and these, added to the force under Gens. Fisk and Brown, already there, made a garrison of 4,100 cavalry and 2,600 infantry-generally twelve-months' men of little experience in the field, but capable of good service behind intrenchments. Fisk decided the other Generals concurring-to oppose a moderate resistance to the foe at the crossing of the Moreau, 4 or 5 miles east of the city, and then fall back within the rude defenses which he, with the volunteered help of citizens, had been for some days preparing. Gen. Mower, by coming from Arkansas, following nearly in the track of the Rebel irruption, had struck the Mississippi at Cape Girardeau; having marched 300 miles, over bad roads, in 18 days. His men were weary, his provisions exhausted, his teams worn down; part of his cavalry dismounted, with the horses of many more lacking shoes: so Rosecrans dispatched steamboats from St. Louis to bring them to that city; whence the infantry were sent up the Missouri by water, while the cavalry, under Col. Winslow, marched" by land to rëenforce A. J. Smith; reachPrice crossed the Moreau after ing" Jefferson City-by reason of a sharp but brief skirmish, and ad- the low stage of water in the river vanced" on the capital; developing-one day in advance of the infan a line of battle 3 or 4 miles long, which enveloped the city on all sides save that of the river; but, on a full survey of the defenses, and a partial try. Meantime, Price had, of course, seriously widened the gap between him and our cavalry, of whom Pleas |