Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-10-03
From our Regular Correspondents.
PROM CHICAGO.

The CrOdksrs and Frsmoat-Heg DO They
KaoV WAat hy ClaimS-FFsmOnf5 Force
at S. LOuis--RiI Plan Of Atsaek.-Ths
DVsRs' Of st. Eouis and J,fTsOa G&.
CHICAGO, Sept 80, 1861.
EDs. LEADER-The CrOakers are still harp
ing over the failure to reinforce Mulligan.
They still assert it was possible for Gen. Ere
mont to do 90, bat fail to state hoe it could
have been done They claim that he knew
for long time previous to the attack, that
Price was gathering force for the special
purpose Of taking Lexington. How do they
know be was aware of it-and lift was so
evident, why was it not pointed out long
agO1
Gen. Fremont states In his recent letter, a
fact, pstent to ALL that be has a lengthy line
to watch and protect while the rebels are as
the Arabs Of the desert, without & nRre or
local habitation. There was every appear
ance that Price and McOulloch wouid unite
aud strike at jefferson City-but ss soon as
It was known that Lexington was his object
Gen. Fremont hurried forward reinforce
ments from the north under Gen. Stureis-
who had two of the Ohio Regiments in his
command-from tie west under Brig. Gen.
James b. Lane, and from the southwest un-
der Brig Gen. JEFF. Q. Davis, of the Missouri
volunteers, besides the attempt to reinforce
via river.
Had he Withdrawn Col. Mulligau, the
| smouldering volcanoes of savage laWlessuess
would again have burst forth in Western Mis-
souri,.
The Generals assertion that he was men.
aced in other quarters at the same time, /:
verified by the accounts Of several smaller
engagements on the south and southwest o
his lines. He stated to the editor of West
ern paper, that after the draft on him fol
Washington, be had only 5000 men in st
Louis, instead Of the 80, 600 or 900 as wa.
generally reported.
With the forces he could collect together il
the two succeeding weeks, be has started NJ
the Missouri, and his advance posts are at Sc
dalia and GEORGETOWN, near the terminus 0
the Pacif; railroad, and TO the southeast o
Lexington. The whereabouts of Ben. Nc
Cullosh is shadowed with much uncertainty
but unless be turns up at some critical me
ment where be is not wanted, las is feared h'
will, Gen. Fremont will be able to cut of
Prices communications s-Overwhelm him, anC
pay his respects to Ben. McCulloeh at hi
leisure.
It is supposed that McCulloch is to thl
Southwark of jefferson City, heading eithei
for that point or 10 unite with Price at Lex
ingtOn Adopting the tactics of the FRS
Napoleon, Fremont has struck at the centrt
of his foes, and will attack their two wing
in detail, thus concentrating superior mum
bers at each point at which blow is struck
although his forces are much less than thos,
of the enemy. Having fortified his rear, b,
can pursue his bold course with every pros
pect of success.
Those censoriOus persons who have object
ed so strongly to his stopping to fortify St
Louis and Jefferson City before he advanced
into the interior of the State, are now il
great apprehension o. an attack upon thos
very points by McCulloch, although Their
are now no greater indications OF such Al
attack than when the Notifications were be-
gan. The defences erected at those point
are armed with guns of the heaviest calibre-
80, GA and S4-pouuders, portion of then
riAed, and supplied with immense quantities
of shot, shell, and other war material. Nc
Cnlloch has no such artillery, without which
it would be cut Of the question for him Il
take those points, and even with such heavy
guns, Re could not drag them over tn,
swampy roads in the face of forces stationed
a! Rolls, Pilo. Knob, and along sthe line t
Fremont's present position at Sedalia. Whilt
fortifying these points, Fremont has beeI
preparing 70 advance against the rebels
With these points protected, repmlse vii
not be defeat, while a victory over Pric'
will compel McCullOch to act on the defen
sive, and ultimately retreat toward Arkansas
If Fremont and bis able staff, aided by Sigel
Hunter, Pope, Prentiss, and other officers o
known abilities, are not able 10 accomplish
this work, it will not be so much the result
of bad generalship as the withdrawal o
troops to Washington.
To prevent confusion in the minds of read
ers, it may be well to state that there arr
three Prices in Missouri: Thos. L. Price
Brigadier General in the Union army; Ex-
Governor Sterling Price, Major General o.
the rebel forces under Jackson's Admins
tration Of State affairs, and VIM. G. Price, {
sort of rebel "COl" or ''Gen." not particular.
ly known to fame. Ben. McCulloch rank.
as Brigadier General in the Confederai,
army. P.B.