, 1861-10-02


The capture Of Col Mu1lfgan's Brigade is an
event Of the war that came home to the peo- |
PIE Of Chicago with peculiar force, as one Of |
tie regiments which surrendered was COM |
posed chiefly Of Chicago citizens. Why was
he rot reinforceds is question the people Of I
Illinois is asking. Taat he Was not is pain |
fully true. The loss Of 5000 soldiers, 5000 |
stand Of first class arms, q battery Of field ar
illery, 500 horses and mules, numerous wag-
OBS, excellent camp eqnipage, considerable |
stores and ammnnidon-in short, National
property to the value Of = quarter million dol
larf, were some Of the fruits Of the failure to
reinforce Mullgan, or remove his command
to q less exposed position. a part Of the
blame, Fremont's defenders say, attaches to
Col Mulligsn; but the greater portion falls
on Gen. Fremont Why did not Mulligan
c1oss the river when he learned that Price
Was marching upon him with overwhelming
fcrces they ask. His scouts informed him
severl days before the siege commenced that
2. ice, HaHis, Green, Slack, Rains and other
irsurgent chiefs had combined their clans and
were moving towards Lexington. Price halt
ed come days at Warensburg, thirty miles
south Of Lexington, to collect his rowing bands
together. The advance guard OF Price's army,
| u1de1 Gen. Harris, 5000 strong, made their
| appearance on the evening Of September 11th,
| and a sharp battle was fought that evening
between them and Marshalrs Cavalry aud the
| 18th Missouri regiment, two miles south Of
| Nlliigan's entrenchments, in which the loyal
troops had the advantage. Next day Price
arrived with Il, 900 more men, and when the
| siege ended the rebels had swollen to over
| $1,000. It seems strange that Mulligan did
Eot toresce that his steamto ITS must iu,medi-
ateiy be captured md his supply Of water cut
| OF whenever the enemy arrived in strong
force. His boats were moored where they
wire beyond the protection OF his guns. They
were quickly taken after little or no resis-
1ance. His retreat across the river was then
cut Of, and any 1einforcements Tint might at
rive Oh the opposite bank could render him
no assistance. No help from the north side
ef the river was practicable, after the capture
Of his unprotected steamers. Nor could he
keep the rebels out Of Lexington. They
Bwa1med into the town IS soon Us they came
| In sight Of his works. Again, one. quarter
OF his force consisted Of cavalry, destitute Of
csrbines and armed with horse pistols and
swords, and consequently were unfit to de-
ferd eutreuchments, except in close hand to
band fighting. The captains Of the cavalry
foresaW the trap into which they were about
falling, and seven Of them laid the matter be
flre Col. Marshall, and urged him to obtain
8 orders for their transportation across the
9 rIyer-at least to have their horses sent over
and left in charge Of detail. But no atten
3 ien was paid to this timely advice, After
8 wards they implored Marshall to let then
7 mount the men and charge upon the rebels
break through their ranks and save At leas.
the bulk Of the regiment; but he refnse6
either to lead or follow them, aud the result
! il known. Had Col Mplligan evacuated hi,
8 trenches and taken position On the other sid,
$ Of the Mi.souri, Price could not hare sur
J rounded him. He could have ret1 eatel nostl
3 or west, and formed junction with Genera
! stureib' troops, aud with other troops unde
s General Pope. The whole matter may b
1 summed up In short sentence 1t is certai
8 that he fought sxN, but perhaps he p'anne
d badly.
is Let us nov tum our attention to the othe
Le branch Of the inquiry: Why did not Gene1a
Fremont reinforce Col Mu1ligan? The pet
a pie are In the fog On this matter, and the fol
IS lowing dispatch is not calculated to illum
y y nate the darkness:
- TELEGRAM
=" HEADQUARTERS WEsTxRa DEPARTMENT., |
It Col. E. D. Townsend, K. 1, General. Hssdous
n te7s Of the Army. Tashinnton. D. c.:
ri have q telegram from Brookheld that Lexia
II ton has fallen into Prices hAnds, he having cut
y .Muuigan's supply Of water. Reinforcement
d 4oC0 s1ong undeT ssurgis, by the capture Of Il
K ftr1-boa;e, had means Of crotsinE the siser
re time Laue'e force from the Southwest, and D4vi
ID f,om the Scutheest upwArds Of IL Geo in ali. cou
ret gel there In tine Ian taking the field n
al o. after the junction OF the forces cnder II
ne | Cu1ioet- ,,,
:, Ilesse not:f{ the President t1anedittely.
a. ssigued) !: y fhsAosf,
ag Major General Commanding 8.
ge This dispatch Is ofdcis1, snd ahouie conss
fscs, brt does &c. by considerable PerE'