Washington telegraph., 1862-02-12

"A JARp FEOM DRIGADIER GENERAL
MCCULLoCH.-Iu your issue of yesterday
there is a communication signed j. w.
Tucker, in answer to which | think pro
per TO make the following reply, which
you will please give place in :our paper.
Your correspondence says: With the
exception of the battle Of Springfield, not
a sword has been drawn for the release Of
Missouri, except BY her own sons" On
the 4th of July. General Pearce, of Ar
kansas, aud myself, with all the forces We
could command, entered Missouri, march
ed TO aid the governor of the State In cut
ting his way through bis enemies, captur-
ing one hundred vf the enemy at Neosho,
point where We expected to attack Col
/ Sigel with his whole command.
\ 50 much for his first assertion.
tie further says speaking OF the battle
Of Oak Hills TIE Confederate com.
mander was asked for the assistance of
three regiments to pursue defeated and
disorganized fne, when 900 men and 81. :
600, 900 worth of property we're within
our reach, but Gen. Price asked in vain"
I Imme diately after the battle was over,
and, IN truth before all my forces had
7 returned from the pursuit of the enc
my, orders were issued for the wounded
to be bruc ght from the battle field, the
/ dead to be buried, and the army to be
ready to march after the enemy that night.
/ We did not march, for the want of am
nunition. Several Of my officers informed
me, (when they had heard the order) that
souie of their men had fired their last cart
ridge at the enemy, as we had on y twenty
FIVE rounds to the man before the battle
began, and no more within hundreds of
mi 3. After confere nee with Gen. Price,
Il was thought best 10 1t well enough alone.
! ~ to being asked Tor three reyi iments, |
have 90 recollection Of any such request.
81 much for his second accusation.
| Now for the third complaint, in which
he wishes to convey the idea that L had
not, nor could not, aid Missouri with a
man, gun, or a percussion crp, and that
would not even protect Missouri frnm
the Kansas jayhawKers.
At tue time Gen. Pearce, Of ArkaDsas
and myself first entered Missouri. on the
4th Of July we leaned Gen. Price SOM
Tx hundred aud fifteen muSkets When
our turces formed a Junction at Cassville
Col. Herbert, OF Louisiana, at my request
luaped ,lissouri fficer about ore hun
dred muskets.
| have several times since given the
Missourians the last cap l could spare
from my own command. Let those officers
say how many Of their muskets were re.
turned General Price, learned, reco.
vered ten, whilst Col. Hebert was only
abe to get portion of those he luaned-
Besides, it is a well known fact. that
the arms of our dead aud wounded, we're
taken from the battle field, nor did we get
any Of the arms left by the enemy.
As TO the Kansas jayhawkers, and our
ingiorious idlene>s My mounted men
gave protection to the whole country on
The borders Of the Missouri for one hun.
dred miles north of the Arkansas line
from immediately after the battle of Oak
Hill, until in October, when Gen. Price
retreatcd from Lexington to that section
of the State.
80 much for these charges.
Ii will remembered that was assigned
TO the command of the Indian territory
with orders to defend it from invasion
from any quarter; consequently, my par
,icipation IL The battle at Oak Hill vas
upon my own responsibility, with a reli,
ance of being sustained by M own gov
ernment.
As to my men chafng, like Gagged lion,
to j,iu the Mis>ourians, must say this is
news to me. Ii might be supposed the
Louisiana regiment was exceedingly anxi
: Gus to march, exposed TO the sun and rain
with men covered wi;b Dinety-6ve tent,
taken from themselves by order of Mi
!, souri, general. These tents had the extrs
clothing of the men rolled in them, ano
were sto.ed with A merchant in Cassville
! at the time we marched upon Springfield
!. and were taken out Of his possession By
order Of Brigadier-Gen. Parsons, conveyed
J on the same road with ttst regiment, ant
not word Of them or their contents ren
toned 70 me afterwards BY any Nilsson
! rian. If this was not enough to max,
) that gallaut Louisiana regiment chafe Ek'
: a Gagged lion to 90 with Gen. Price, the,
only had to refer to his official report 0
; the battle of Oak Hills, to see how com
pletely they have been deprived Of tn
! glory Of taking Col. Sigers battery, whicl
they did at the point OF the bayonet.
As to the troops from Arkansas, the.
we're likely to "chafc like a caged lion,
because they we're not permitted to e
with their country rifles and shot guns
and see how they handled the musket
they had borrowed and would not return
Then there are the Texans! "The,
chafed Ike q Gagged lion," because the.
could not have an opportunity Of captur
ing another flag ana piece of artillery. :
be appropriated By the Missourians, Wills
they (he Texaus,) were continuing t
pursue the enemy
Perhaps all these gallant men wer
, likely to :. chafe like Gagged lion." becaus
, they could not march with men who too
possession Of every mill and every blacL
smith shop 10 the surrounding conntr;
and at the same time placed guard owe
every store 10 Springfield, taking whs
. they contained aud applying it to tbei
own use, thus depriving these men Of th
chance Of getting . change of linen,
, pound Of breads,uffs, ora horse shod, upt
II