The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-11-04

lantI officer. The two regiments at Rolla
should have been pushed forward, and the
whole of Pope's nine regiments brught by
rail to ST. Louis and Rolla, and thence
sent to Lyons force. Any other General
in such an emergency would have pur-
sued his obvious course
Of Mulligan's surrender, the Report
says:
aNow for the facts to show that this
catastrophe could have been prevented,
and Prices army destroyed before or after
that disastrous affair: Before Price got to
Lexington, the forces to resist him were
the following AT Jefferson City, $500;
at Rolla, 1000; along the Hannibal a
St. Joseph Railroad, about 5000; on the
western line Of Missouri, under Lane,
down near Fort Scott, 1900; Mulligans
force at Lexington, 200; large force
in Illinois, along the Mississippi River
and on the Iowa line. Outside of Saint
Louis we're some 1900; in st. Louis
itself, $4,000. Say, however, that there
were only 10000 there. Hunters plan
up to Sunday, Sept. %, was to concen-
trate from st. Louis, Jefferson City, and
Rolla, also from the Hannibal and Saint
Joseph Railroad. 10000 men and relieve
Null gan He said that if Price was a
soldier, Lexington was already fallen
but with energy, Price could be captured,
with all his baggage and plumber. The
objection to this that may be urged--that
there was no transportatlon--is ON idle
one. The railroad and river were at COM
mand, and the march from Sedalia was
only as miles long. The force could, Gen.
Hunter supposed, be thrown into Lexing-
ton by Thursday, and, as it appears, be-
fore it was taken.
General Fremont ordered Sturgis in
North Missouri to Lexington, and by
crossing the river to reinforce Mulligan
Sturgis had only LOO men, and on
reaching the river opposite the town,
found it commanded by Price, and of
course was compelled to fall back. Hunt
er's plan of moving these troops was to
strike the river at point below Lexing-
ton in our control, to cross it, and march
up to the town. In the interview with
Gen. Fremont, the question was asked,
whether any orders had been given to re-
inforce Mulligan, and, the reply being in
the negative, Gen. Hunter suggested or
ders TO Sturgis and, had the order then
been given by telegraph, he would have
reached the river before Price had taken
possession of the north bank and could
have crossed The order uds not gtuen
una three days after this taterUiem'
"Mulligan was ordered from Jefferson
City, then garrisoned with 5000 troops,
with only one regiment, and with that to
hold Lexington until he could be relieved
When Lexington fell, Price had under his
command 10000 men, and his force was
receiving daily augmcntations from the
disaffected in the State. He was permit
ted to gather much plumber, and to fall
back toward Kansas unmolested, until
was at Upton on the 18th, when the ac-
counts were that he was crossing the
Usage. Fremonts order to march was
issued to an army of nearly 40, 900, many
of the regiments badly equipped, with in
adequate supplies of ammunition, clothing,
and transportation. With what prospect,
it must be inquired, can Gen Fremont,
under slch circumstances, expect to over
take retrcating army, some one hundred
miles ahead, with deep river between 7"
Such in substance, emitting minor mat
tiers and special details, are the grave
charges thus officially promulgated, not tc
a Court Martial but to the tribunal ofpub
lie opinion There is nothing new in The
charges, for they have already been her
aided to the country and repeated over ane
over again by the newspapers. Adjutan
General Thomas, however has gatheree
them all up and strung them together an,
! impressed upon them the prestige of off
cial authority. We trust that this is +
be an exceptional case, and that tn
. complaints Of the public and of individu
. als against members of the Administra
ton and Generals of our armies are mt
:, in oil cases to be thus embodied under o
j fetal saction aud then heralded to the pull
. lie through the newspapers without CIV
{ ing them any chance for defence or Q,
PLANTATION.
/ BusDM vlsta Avenged.
With EraIar,.Etnuu VIII Tat DE-