The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-10-18
The Seat of War In sIisso,sri.

~ 80 as @~~s~~se~~e
The st. Louis Republican publishes very
excellent map of that state, and accompanies
itwith statement which We copy. Though
their article was written mainly to explain
the map it will contain much of interest to
the general reader
We know our readers all appreciate the
pains we have taken to present, in this issue,
map of the seat of war 10 the west, inclu>
ding all that part Of Missouri lying south ol
the Missouri river, from Kansas City to st.
Charles, and embracing together with a
large section of Illinois) the portion Of Ken
lucky, Arkansas and Tennessee which is
likely to become the scene of conflict. AT
present, however, we give toe map for the
puspOse of aiding our readers to form accu-
rate ideas of the campaign in Missouri
whice is now looming up into gigantic i'm.
pOrtance.
The breadth Of the state in that portion
given in our map, averages about 800 miles.
The principal towns and cities are st. Louis
Jefferson City, Boonville, Lexington, Inde>
pendence, Kansas City and Cape Girardeau.
Besides these important military points, are
Pilot Knob, Rolla, Warrensburg, Warsaw,
Osceola, Bolivar, Springfield and Neosho
the two first named-Pilot Knob and Rolla
being occupied by United States troops
and the other places in the southwest being
Point, just below Cairo, on the Missouri
side, is strongly fortified by the Federal
forces, while Charleston and Belmont, imme.
diately south, are possessed by the enemy.
Belmont, by an oversight, is not marked on
our map. 1t is opposite Columbus, ferry
plying between the two posts.
The force of the country South of the
Missouri river is undulating, rising into
high, rocky hills as it approaches the lead
and iron regions on the Usage range. The
Southeast is low and swampy, and full Of
lakes, extending back considerable dis
tance, and reaching from the Great Swamp,
a few miles south Of Cape Girardeau, be.
yond St. Francis Lake, far into Arkansas.
The swamps and lagoons are re- dered ais
most impenetrable by dense seew1h d
cypress and other trees. The region extends
West of the ST. Francis river and ss far
up as Greenville. The boundary of the
swampy tract is marked by line of fertile
highlands, beyond which the country rises
North, Northeast, East and Southeast. The
highlands along the Mississippi river ex-
tend from little above the head of the
Great Swamp, with occasional depressions,
to the Missouri river, the most elevated
part being between Ste. Geneveye and Sui
phur Springs, or the valley Of the Mara
mec, where the limestone banks climb up,
10 some places, to over $50 feet above the
water. From the Mississippi, at a point
below Cape Girardeau to the mouth of the
Missouri, this undulatipg country spreads
West to the Usage and its branches, where
the rugged character OF the surface disap-
pears. Between the Gasconade and the
Usage, range Of elevated laud approaches
the Missouri river, which is the Northern.
most Offset of the Ozark mountains. TO
the West of this region the country is more
open, aud is characterized by rolling prai,
ries, diversified along the streams with
strips of stunted timber. Naturally this
part of the State is abundantly prolific,
| but in the last few years succession of
floods and droughts have so interfered with
agricultural operations, especially near the
Kansas bOr0er, that many of the inhabit.
ants have been driven eft for fear of famine.
The subsistence of large army has so
drained that portion OF the country recent.
ly, as to have laid it almost bare.
The rivers of the State, besides the Mis-
sissippi and the Missouri, are numerous.
The Maramec, which empties into the Mis-.
sissippi twenty miles below this city, has a
course of one hundred and seventy five
miles, the White and st. Francis, which
drain large sections in the south part OF
the State, are properly rivers of Arkansas.
The most considerable affiuents of the
the Missouri within the State are the Usage
and GascoDade. The Usage is about four
hundred miles long, rising in the plains be-
tween the Kansas and the Arkansas rivers,
and joining the Missouri few miles below
Jefferson City. The forks of the Gasconade
take their source in the mountainous region
about Springfield. Numerous creeks and
small streams traverse all sections OF the
State, being generally well timbered, and
furnishing those essential items to camp
| liie--w0Od and water. >htE
The railroads of the Missouri are the
Pacific, main and Southwest Branch,) the
Hannibal and ST. Joseph, the North Mis-.
souri,, the Iron Mountain and the Cairo and
Fulton. The main line OF the Poetic is
completed to Sedalia, a distance of one hun
dred and eighty>nine miles, and the South
| west Branch to Rolla, one hundred and
Thirteen miles. she Hsnnibal and ST. Jo-
seph extends across the State, two hundred
| and six miles. The North Missouri 5con-
meets with the Hannibal and st. Joseph at
Hudson, one hundred and sixty-eight miles
from st. Louis. The Iron Mountain rail-
road has a length of eighty@seven miles.
The Cairo and Fulton road has been com
pleted to Charleston, twenty-one miles from
Cairo, but has been rendered useless for
transportation.
Below we give as accurate table of distar.