, 1863-04-27
OUR ST, LOUIS LETTER.
War Once More in N1ttsouri-Thc
Rebel Advance T1lrcntcnin:.-IFlcc
Whereabouts and IKts Eforccs-Plnn
mcNcu-TAe River Closed, Etc, Etc.

ST. Louis. April "a, 1868.
War is again brought to our doors. The
rebels have advanced with heavy forcs from
Pocahontas, Ark, within no miles Of this
city. They arc reported this morning In full
possession Of Frcdericktowu,a and are mcnacIng
Cape Glrardcau and Ste. Gcncyierc, though
either movement would be contrary to all
West Point notions Of military propricty, and
would place the rebel force in position 10
be flapkcd. The military authorities mere
hare taken the most vigorous precaotioas
aratnst anv serious mischief, and IN forty"cight
hours more. tic rebels will be compelled to
c,rc hattie or ipg1oriously retreat. Price is
Te,ortcd at Pocahontos with L, 600 conscripts
md considerable artillery. lfarmaduke was
sent ahead as IN advance guard, to gobh1e up
as many garrisons and obtain as many guns
and as much provision Us he could capture; |
but thus far Marmaduke has obtained Just |
nothing, s1yc possession Of a barren, miscra- |
bic country. The fight with battalion Of |
Col. Sma5t'e regiment was failure, though !
the 1cbeIs had the advantage Of superiornum- |
bers. The particulars Of that affair reflect |
credit upon our men.
It is very probable Price has actually started
| his troops in motion, to carry out the long
talked Of invasion Of Missouri His main re-
lance is on the friendship Of q majority Of the
| 11pople Of the Interior and the hope Of their !.
| 5un1,ort us soon as 1e reaches central posi-
| ton, His forces are estimated as follows:
| Remaining Of niudman's army from Prairie
Additional ii conecfipts from Texas and sarkan.
sat-, .:...+.--...'''''''''''''' 9'oGS .1
apHansas mSiItia folmeIly at Austin, Little
/ Rock and Arkadelph1a 1a..-.......-.-.-...-4 4.VU
Matmadukes Division. on.........--........... 1000
1ota,. -, ,ooo
Hin1man's army, after the defeat Of Prairie
Grove, was scattered all over Arkansas. When
! Uiu1man coinmcnced that battle he had 20, 900
men. Allowing fifty per Gent. for desertion,
&C., Price ought, easily, by energetic meas
II is we'll known that rigid conscEiptiou has
been going On In Arkansas, Northern Loulsi-
aua and Texas for several months, and the
provision question being settled, Price has ob-
taine1 at least, so refugees aud scouts report,
gangs, under Porter, Burbrfdgc, Q1antrel,
Cobb, Coffee, JetIries aud others, who were
forced to fly from this Statc, number 5000, at
q low calculation. The other figures nre
based on official data. the source Of which is
| indjsputablc.
The information relating to Prices reported
whereabouts ut Pocahontas arrived silnulta-
neouely at Pilot Knob and Rolla, and Is believed
to be correct. The plan of the rebel campaign
is yeGy nble, as will be admitted by referring
to events already happened, and the Logical
probabilities. That plan embraced:
l. An attack on Fayetteville, Arkansas, for
| the double purpose OF capturing 2,oO0 ne"
| and valuable stores, horses, camp eauipage,
l and TO draw of one division Of the army ol
the frontier to its relief
2. L mid in force toward Pilot Knob with 4
: view Of capturing Gen. McNei's two regi
, mcntsand battery at Bloomfield, and gObbling
2 up other detached commands, to add to tht
rcbc1 supplies, aud likewise to draw another
0 division Ct the army OF the frontier to th'
3, When the army Of the frontier was thu:
G divided, practicable route to the heart o
J. MISSOURI would he open, via Batesyi1le, West
- plains, Houston, Rolla, Llnn, Carroll and JET
fereon City.
o The conception Of this is emincntly due tt
h Sterling Price. Had its execution been cquall
good, tic invasion of Missouri would he ri
n accomplished fact. 1t has failed because Oh
l. forces at Fayetteville were oyerratcd, an,
the rebel troops sent against them were to-
'e the raid into Southeast Missouri hi
been delayed by bad roads and other causes
IL Had Fayetteville been captured, and had Mal
maduke moved quickly with his four or fit
H. H. him. the tale Of to-day would laye been diffel
lc cut These DluudcEs are our gain. Faycttt
= vile has been abandoned, and instead Of mo1
at ilg to support Fayetteville our troops 4
t " Springfield arc reinforced from that pnin
~ u, Extra troops bare been removed from otle
IN PORTS to near Pilot Knob, so that the army
de Tie Frontier is still an unit whereas the es:e!
I'd tial }art OF Prices plan is unuucstionabty
at division of Gen. Eerron's command.
OF The escape of Gen. John Mcneil, the Mort
1T Mar1nadukc evidently 1honght his game VI
mor m sure He avoided Mcneil, and sent about
thousand men ahead TO attack Patterson.
he hearing Of this, Mcneil was ordered to Pill,
te Kncb from Bloomfield, exactly what Il
SO rebels anticipated They hoped to draw hi
~ w1elnling force. Mcneil was then in cor
;n. mand Of 3 600 casalry aud battery Of artiler
He started on Monday last On the road
iii Fredericktown, and until! last nigAt nothi.
Of greatest anxiety was felt for Ills safety: T.
;ts. distance to Frederlcktown is only fifty o.
;o,, miles, and, MS be had started Monday. it y
'oh Thought Ae would have reached lis dessit
wo tlon BY Wednesday night, at the furthe:t, Z
If less captured. But it seems he got wind
~ the rebel proceedings, and turned OF VII
twenty four miles from Bloomfield, a
on marched to Cape Gjrardeau, where be arris
,oly yesterday afternoon The news Of his arTl'
ON became known this morning, aud created
M, The rebels occupied Fredericktown vest
sas1 20 day morning. There is q ru1noE aaoat tia
onr small fight occurred between the rebel adva1
at land Ths aee IS only oat eshtecn nj
ons, from Pilot knoh-a tribe south Of due ca
ton 4 raid to st. Geucyieyc, by cavalry, in sea,
IN Of supplies and forage, Is confidently .predi
~: " ed. Fears Of rebel attempts to interfere "
and the excitement was measurably incrca
aists by all order from Gen. Davidson prohibit
aeto the departure Of boats down the river.
1on gunboat Cincinnati is expected to leave to-
taon 9n9a Tor Cape Grarleau, and another gunbo:t
4'N" be sent from Cairo, it is said, to Keep
@ / banks clear of rebel artillery. The rebels
= 1Iy desperately hard up for provisions, and
chitf incentive to fighting, and the will
hes. ness to endure untold physical evils, proce
/ from hungry stomachs.
c cf- rebels yesterday, on the north side Of the
.,a souri, River at Glasgow In Howard county,
'ne ganizcd \ band and made prisoner ofGen
'unt- Bartho1dy Of the enrolled militia. They
orth retan m prsoner II ~ TX S "ouos uas;,,a nA
the pendent entirely uron the success Of
Tolu~ forces in expclling the rebel invaders +
s. the State. II Price ever reaches 9 rai]E,
oan~ the State will be drcnched in warfrom bo
IL in to centre.
work pnt y, 'uPs hn oeei.a.a .u nenlon ~,
out tho enrolled militia. The 5th, 11th
18th regiments have been ordered in c
II, for active service, and the 7th regimen
well disciplined, armed, cqnlppcd and
r tho formed regiment has been detailed for AZ
duty in town There is some excitemel
the city about the refusal Of the Goyernt
] allow parties to pay $50 under the State
gone litia law for their exemption certificates
cI, on being called out.
3, OBJ. Every post In the State Is now vigil:
tchich guarded, and Will DC strengthened as clrt
Ltu to etarccs will admit. It seeEls to BIZ tie d
DEM lniuatton OF the rebels to draw ot the ar
If the | noE in the field IN Louisiana and M1ssis:
.could | and Tennessee to Missouri and Kentucky
)ELD shall be ours to prevent the draElng o1
RafA- tctred to. All IS going we'll now, and
,gress certain effect Of a rebel uprising will b
afro destruction OF slavery FOREVER.
upon General Davidson who vent to Roll
nded, Wednesday returned the same day.
!. con-