Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-01-25
Gst HlenP5is 8q4tal.


AREPEY To GEN.nEcCUELOCH.
EDITORS APPEAL: In your issue Of yesterda.
appears a card from BHg.-Gen. McCulcch, i
answer to that Of J. W. Tucker OF Missouri
Although the right to answer it Is Dir fuckers
stnl, every Missourian has the right to notice If
aud under that privilege ask a place ii you
paper for TIE following, and shall state onll
what came under my own observation or wa
derived from reliable sources.
The day before the battle Of Carthage, Gen
MeCuIloch surprised q party Of Dutch Of Siger'
army at Neosho, and captured.them, and was
within sound Of our guns the next day, but
nsither participated in the Fl hi nor prevented the
retreat Of the enemy.
The g Battle Of Oak Hills" as it IS registered
tht Of q Wilson's Creek, as Missourians are
wont to call it, was fought under every disad-
vantage, arising from = complete surprise, and
almost the FIRST intiination which the army had
of the proximity Of the enemy was q plunging
FIRE directly into the camps, under which many
of our men fell, and many ran away, leaving
their arms behind them. After the battle, the
trophies Of war and its sPoils were collected and
BY agreement between Gems. Price and McCUl
IOch, the s~r1illery was turned over TO the Con-
federate troops, while We (the N. S. G. kept the
small arms. If his troops lost their arms on the
field, CT if the arms Of MS dead and wounded
were collected and turned over with those taken
from the enemy, to the guard, il Was certainly
not the wish nor intention Of Gen. Price or his
men to deprive so gallant soldiersof their means
OF aggression on tho toe
In regard to the pursuit of The enemy after
the battle. It is certainly so understood and be
lieTed throughout Missouri, and Arkansas, too,
as far as I have travelled through that State, that
the failure to capture the whole force Of the
enemy was owing to the refusal Of Gen MeCul-
loeb TO pursue after repeated solicitations from
Gen. Price. The position taken by Gen. McCm-
lOch after the battle was, that =" he could advance
no further into Missouri and IN consequence of
that determination, Gen. Price, alone, fought the
battle Of Dy-Wood and Lexington, and after
the siege Of the latter place vas compelled to fail
back 10 he Usage from q want Of percussion
caps, having only two thousand for twenty-five
Thousand men after the siege was ended was
stationed at the hospital IN Springfield at the
time, and having learned by a messenger from
the gentleman m charge Of the caps (Aiaj0r
Bro2dwel, / think that no escort could be OBJ
tanned from Gen. McCulloeh, one being necessary
from the sentiment Of the citizens between the
Arkansas line and Springfield, ] prevailed upon
the colonel OF a regiment stationed near that
place belonging to Gen. Mcbride d%ivision) to
proceed to the line and escort the caps. After
two days march he met them-under an escort
kiEsG from among the people near the line.
Osceolal among MissoaTians the synonym Of
desolstion and ruin. rs blaclened walls now
stand beneath the sunlight, as much a mOnu-
meut Of the passions Of man, as did the forked
tongues Of the beacon light Of It's desola;ion, as
they climbed the heavens, seeming to signal for
assistance 10 those who, chatting Hke Gagged
lions" were restrained by Che order 50 often re-
pested by Gen. McCulOch, to remain where
they were until further orders"
By a glance at tie msp Of Missouri it VIII be
seen that troops stationed, as a portion Of Gen.
McCulloch's were, at Carthage, would have but
q short march north, to protect al the country
south OF the Usage river, and this had been SO
repeatedly requested by the citizens Of Oseeola,
and the surrounding country, that the officer in
command at Carthage. a soldier every inch Of
lin, had asked permission, las understood from
tie gentleman al whose house he was staying)
ts advance to the assistance Of that section Of
country, but remain where You arc until fur
Their orders was the answer. The conse-
qsence was, one of the most iourishing towns
OF our State w2sdssiTOyed, women and children
amid the roar of cannon, the rattle oil musketry,
TIE tI6IAALN Adllto anu HUIct tA1u AZ lie II
bald tests and drunken ieers Of Kansas Jay
hawkers, were driven from their desolatedh houses
aud their hearthstones desecrated and destroyed
driven forth IS wanderers and 0utcasts. That
scene seems 70 me a phantom which would haunt
the dreams Of ssLdiers. The protection, although
including this point, taking one due west on the
Kansas line, did nor avail, although included in
the one hundred miles protected.
During the presence Of Col. Greer's regiment
L o. a--FsLT - L. r.
(Gen. Prices srIny being then at L~exingOD),
for cur hospital at Springfield, which the Union
men, who were rising in force, hsd threatened
10 destroy. Our messenger returned, starting
with the ~colonefs answer in half an hour after
the delivery of his message, and stated that the
colonel would be there nearly as soon as the
messenger, but, again. "remaiD where you are
until further orders,' preven-ed his march
Fo~ItUnateiy for those who had az Wilson's creek,
so gioriously tonight and bled in the cause Of
their country, MissOuriaRs, Arkansians, Louis
ianians and Texans, their safety and protection
was not dependent upon hin who commanded
them when they received their wounds.
Other matters are spoken Of which refer to
the official action of some Of the officers efthe Mis-
sour State Guard. OF course those matters are
without the range Of this article.
IN eonclusioa, Imust say. that such feelings
as are expressed IN the card of Gen. McCuiloch,
have had their influence at Richmond IN pre-
venting the appointment of our gallant old lead
er to the position he so justly deserves.
Imet many Of the troops on my way through
Arkansas, who participated in the battle az VIII
sons creek, and who fought so nobly and shed
their blood SO freely, ard with them " Price is
the sign and counteTsign to their advance to the
Missouri and Mississippi The men Of ATkan-
sas and Missouri love hin as q general and a
leader; Their hearts blood is at bis service ia
the e~auseof bis country his name thrills through
the nerves Of woman, either in the psrlOr or at
the loom; the eye Of beauty brightens, and the
rose on her cheek gains q fresh glow al lis men
ton; the children, as they wevetbeI tiny stars
and bars and Shout for " Dixie couple the
name of Price with il.
M~issourians, true to him, who IS, we know,
true 10 the cause, win Inform the " Old Guard
Of the Confederscy, the picket of Arkansas, the
lock Of The Southwest, which the Federals have
never yet found a key to OPEN and although he
may serve as the commander Of that guard only
history win still make him, when his name shal
Hume her page, " first in war, frstin peace, frs
in the hearts Of his coHntrymen."
c. DORSEY BAER, NJ D., n. S. G.
January "a. 1862.
RrOns Green River.
We extract the following from tie correspond
~ tha Cincinnati Commercial Vritte7