The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-11-30
raon RoLLA.
RolLA, Mo-, Nov. 18th, 1861.
FRnxp MAYNARD:

4 1ABoND S1A AbNbAD
You M doubt hear enough
Of Union troops in this Dspar,nent, bu
very few have correct idea Of Price, ana
his army. Several Of eur olieers have re.
turned from visit to his camp, and ve se,
here very correct idea Of his army d,.ci.
pine and mode Of life. When visited some
week or more ago, Gen. Pr;sa had bis Head
Quarters 1t Cassvilie, Ben. Mccullough ter
miles south, and McInscsh, At the head
the Texans, was near the Askansas
line. Around Prices Head Quarters vas
stretched q rope, c,rcus fashion, inside oi
which the ssPlsbes" we're not allowed to 20.
His army, some 60, 900 strong, vas stretched
from Wilson's Greek to Camp Walker, BIZ
vouackcd in line some City mile. 10 extent;
each squad Oh its own responsibility each
commanded By some rebel Squire,o promi-
nens State man; and each division BY some
good military leader. As to fighting in
masses, il was obsolete with them. Black
jsck, ,srees. are their forts. All mounted, with
no baggage, no subsistence trains, they
travel fast--herein having the advantage
over us. Each company supplies itself
with food By foraging on Union men, and
often on their own Misunderstanding Con-
federats Scrip in payment. Their orders
from jeff. Davis are, to employ as much Of
our force ns possible, and keep US running
a Wild goose chase after them; never to
Gghs. unless sure of victory; and to draw
US into the Ozark Hills, and there punish US
from behind black jacks. We advance in
mass--they retreat, each for himself. Send
cavalry after them, and into the ''scrub
oaks" they fs. This has been their game,
aud wall continue to be. The only really
organized and drilled forces with Price are
Ben. McCullough's division of Arkansas in
fan,ry, and MeIatosh's Texas rangers, who
ride n hardy pony, and FIRE lying on their
backs, ala Canadnche. In ''bush whack-
ing" they are effective. Price also has
about 5000 Cherokees with him, command
I'd by Capt. Baker, of Cherokee fame. All
they carry is bed quilt. They improyise
their tents have provisions IN two horse
wagons, pressed from friend or foe. whey
seldom use kettles, broiling all their meat
each company keeps an account with the
State Of Missouri, made payable at certain
date, in Confederate Scrip, thus:
State Of NJ. ssou.i, 10000
10 John Doe, DR..
To one ham taken from Union man by
McBr,de's Div. $500
To one mule taken from Union man by
IcBr,de's Div. $500
By Confederate Scrip. $4,000
Giving each man of each company credit
for all the stock he foragcs, and charging it
to State Of Missouri. Their uniform is
home. made, ba.ternuA ceIored jeans. Not
one company in all the forcs, having any
regular uniforms. Price wears a grey suit,
with no ornament to designate his rank
Mcintosh and Mccullough the ssme--one
officer only has stars on his coat-collar to
designate his rank. They claim this as un
over US, saying they can pick our
officers OF by the tsssels on their shoulder
straps. Their sick, they furlough; hospi-
tails are not known. Country doctors travel
along with rifles, and fight, or physic, as
the case may require. Now, no army in
mas, can ever whip Price, ,and his gaerriilas.
There is one way to do it-fghs them with
their own weapons, and in their o.n way.
Let cur boys follow them in squads, on
horses, mules, or anything that they can
forage on, and kill as they 60. Our boys
can whip three to one in this way, and i've
10 one in pitched battle. 5000 .kirmish-
srs and foragers let loose on Prices retreat,
would have brought in 8, 900 horses, whose
riders were ssnon est" Experience has
shown our Generals this, and they are leav-
ing Mr.. Price to occupy a country that has
been burnt and pillaged by both armies, and
are abou. to take the field as they should
have done in the commencement OF this
Missouri fight, viz.-Garrison the impor-
tant points in the State, and in q line easy
nf access-mosins with cur army south IN
10 Tennessee, Arkansas, or wherever else 1t
IS best; bn. not let Price keep $4,000 good
troops following after set OF ragamnthns,
bush ~hackers, &C., who, when whipped,
add no great bene6s-or glory either.
S.ige is now bringing np the rear. lie
less Spring 6eld the day Prlres rear guard
turned on its heel. Tie next day Segel
foIlove ed them forty Eve Tuiles; when Price
burned everything before hisn-barns crops,
forage, and all. Ssigei rssired--Psiee fol-
owed again, trying to keep ssig's dawn
.herc but, ifl am not greatly mistaken,
Mr.. Price will have to follow in vain this
time. @
The Iowa 4th are now building barracks
Tor winter, bu. not With much expectation
II occupying them. They are massive log
buildings, covered with home made shingles
each company having bunk room. di- /
ming room aud kitchcn-aitogesher making
) building 20 BY Ioe feet. Ten Of these
are for companies. The otheers' quarters
are in separate buildings. A squad Of sixty
men have made 1000 shingles for roof
ins. The chang. 10 work has been Of great
besess. The health Of the Rssimeni has
very mach, uodss h'sls home
exercise; and whoever occupies the barracks
~.,i eiv. III. 4.h credit for building good,
large. raomy qaarsers. n. P. Dodge has
he.p here. snd brought hospital su?plies.-
ii. .,la. (aaw sro.'y tuos nos,) that our
s,,,i,.. came from the ro,kius