The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-11-08


men behind entertainments. Cairo and
Birds Point were fortified and defended
with heavy artillery. pilot Knob and
Cape Girardeau were fortified after Gen:
Fremont's arrival.) All these places could
be reinforced by railroad and river from
st. Louis and the northwestern states, and
could hold out until reinforced, even it at
tackled by superior forces.
On his arrival in st. Louis General Free
mont was met by Captain Lavender, First
Missouri, and Major Farrar, Aide-de.C Camp
to General Lyon, with statements from the
latter. and requests for reinforcements.
Major Phelps, Member of Congress from
Springfield, DIR. Miller of Omaha, and many
other citizens, having ample means of infor.
nation, made the same representations and
urged the sending of reinforcements. To
Governor Gamble General Fremont said :
General Lyon is as strong as any other Off.
Ger in this line" He failed to strengthen
Lyon, and the result, as is well known, was
the defeat of that most gallant officer. The
two regiments at Rolla should have been
forward, and the whole Of Pope's nine regi.
ments brought by rail to st. Louis and
Rolla, and thence sent to Lyons force. Any
other general in such an emergency would
have pursued this obvious course.
The battle of Springfield Tor more strictly
Wilson's Creek)-o of the most desper-
ate ever fought on this continent took
place August 10, when the brave Lyon fell,
and the troops borne down by greatly supe-
rior numbers were obliged to fall back, but
were uppursued by badly beaten foe.
General Fremont called four regiments
from North Missouri, and went with them
to Cairo. 1t is evident that he had no in-
tention of reinforcing General Lyon, for the
two regiments at ROlla, one hundred and
twenty-five miles only from Springfield, re-
ceived no orders to march, and were not
supplied with transportation, and thirty or
forty hired wagons, just returned from
Springfield, were discharged at Rolla,
August a, seven days before the battle, and
were returned to st. Louis.
| After the news of the battle reached St.
Louis, four other regiments were drawn
from Pope in North Missouri, and sent to
Rolla Better to have called in these
troops before the battle, as after the battle
the whole revolutionary elements were let
loose. The six regiments accomplished
nothing. They were not ordered to advance
and cover the retreat of Lyons army,
although it was supposed in st. Louis that
Price and McCullcch were following it, and
that Hardee had moved up to cut of his
retreat on the Gasconade.
An advance of three regiments would
have enabled the army to retrace its steps,
and to beat the forces of Price and Nc
| CulIoch so badly that they would have been
unable to follow our force in their retreat.
1t is said that every officer in Lyons army
expected to meet reinforcements and to re-
turn with them, and drive Price and Me-
Culloch from the Southwest.
General Hunter arrived at st. Louis
from Chicago, called thither on a sugge>-
tion from Washington as an adviser. Gen.
Fremont submitted to him for consideration
and advice paper called Dispositions for
Retaking Springfield" 1t sets out with
statement that Springfield is the strong
strategetical point of that wide elevation
which separates the waters of the Usage
from those of the Arkansas, the key to the
whole Southwestern Missouri, commanding
an area of nearly $4,000 miles. Why did
not this enter the brain of the Major Gene
raj before the fall of Lyon, and be strain
every nerve to hold that important key in
bis possession?
General Hunter, in answer to the paper,
replied, Why march on Springfield,
where there is no enemy and nothing to
take? Let me rather take the troops and
proceed to Lexington" in which direction
Price was marching, and where be expected
to be joined by forty thousand rebels. H.
stead of this be was sent to ROlla, without
instructions, and remained there until sent
to Jefferson City, still without instructions,
and thence to Upton, where we found him.
(See exhibit No. 49,
No steps having been taken by General
| Fremont to meet Price in the field, he
moved forward his line of march, plainly
indicating bis intention of proceeding to
Lexington When within thirtysfve miles
of the place, be remained ten or more days,
evidently expecting that some movement
would be made against him. None being
made, he advanced, and, with bis much 81.
perior force, laid siege to Lexington, which
was defended by Muligan with twenty.
Der, and captured it in nine days thereafter,
on the 2lst of september.
Now for the facts to show that this cat
astrOphe could have been prevented, ard
Prices army destroyed before or after that
disastrous affair: Before Price got to Lex
ington the forces to resist him were the
following: At Jefferson City, $500; at
Rolla, 1000; along the Hannibal and St.
Joseph Railroad, about 5000; on the west.
ern line OF Missouri, under Lane, down near
Fort Scott, 1900; Mulligan's force at
Lexington, 1900; large force in Illinois,
along the Mississippi river and on the Iowa
line. Outside of st. Louis were some 1000;
10 st. Louis itself, $4,000. Say, however,
that there were only 10000 there. Hunt
er's plan up to Sunday, September %, was
to concentrate from st. Louis, Jefferson
City, and Rolla, also from the Hannibal and
st. Joseph Railroad, 10000 men, and re.
lieve MnlIigan. He SAID that if Price was
soldier, Lexington was already fallen ;
but with energy, Price could be captured,
with all bis baggage and plumber. The
objection to this that may be urged-that
there was no transportation-is an idle one.
The railroad and the river were at command,