The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-11-15
NUMBER OF PRICES ARMY AND HIS
LOSSES.
JOR GEN n. J. SMITH


LOSSES.
Union Losses and Result OF the
y ,3Ish CamPaign.a ,dd1HA
From the Missoah Rspabliean- 4 81 Az W
- ST. LOUIS, Nov. 10. 1864,
Since the month Of May last Il was wall
understood that Price would invade Mis-
aouri. bat it was believed fhAt' the militia.
assisted by whatever troops could be spared
from Arkansas, would be sufficient either
to repel him OF, prevent him. from intiistpgi
anv considerable ameuntof damage on the
State, for almost al the troops then under
Major Gsneral Rosecrans were ordered away
to. assist Sherman In Georgia. This, as
matter Of course, left Gen. Rosscrans pref
ty much at the mercy. Of circumstances,
and he was obliged to do the best he could,
and reap honorlor dishoDor with very dull
tools. He had i've important posts and de
pots to protect, viz: ST louis Pilot Knob,
Rolls, Springfield and Jefferson City. Price
had ct least 20, 600 (some estimates place
bis force at 25,O00) effective men, With
three hundred wagons of ammunition and
eight pieces of artillery. 3 He crossed the
Arkansas in perfect safety under diver
sion made in bis favor BY Shelby, behind
Steele, and concentrated It. )Bstesyille.-
From that point there were three routes OF
invasion through West Plains to kolla |;
BY Pochabontss to Pilot Knob, or up White
river to Springfield. He chose that by Po-
chshontas, perhaps, because it lead more dr.
rectly to st, Lsuis, as it has already been
demonstrated by the battle in the Arcadia
Vslley that Price was there with his main
force, if not his entire army, and intended
dashing upon this city, The official report
bof Brig Gen: Thomas Ewing will better
show this, however, and it need not be ar
gued here he could strike either st, Lou
Us or Rolls, once at Pilot Knob; land the
additional advantage may have decided him
to invade by the Pochahontas route, Every
/! ,preparation that could be was made, but it
was evident to the General Commanding
that assistance must be- bad from without,
and he REQ uestsd that the division under
Maior,Gen A. J, Smith, just arrived At
Cairo, on its way to Georgia, be sent to Mis-.
souri,. This was complied With, and the Sd
tdivision, 18th Army Corps, was sent Up to
Jefferson Barracks. just about the time that
Price was entering the State. Gen. Wash"
burn at Memphis, and Steele at Little Rock
had earlier information Of Prices movement
than Gen. Rosecrans, SO the former ordered
Mowers division, including $500 cavalry
under Col. Winslow, from Memphis to Du>
wallis Bluff, to succor Steele and follow al
Eter Price.
As soon as Price appeared 10. Southeast
Missouri, it was not Ger tain what route he
would take, or whether he, weuld divide his
force, bnt it was at once determined BY Gen.
Rosecrans to occupy the whole length Of
the Iron Mouutain, Railroad, and to prevent
him from getting around and striking st.
tLouis. The stores at Pilot Knob were saved
and sent bither by Gen. Ewing, and that
officer instructed to hold thu enemy long
enough to determine if bis whole force was
there. As soon as that was definitely ascer
tain Jed McNeill, at Rolla, and Sanborn, at
Springfield, were ordered to gather in all
the property, and the latter 70 take all his
cavalry to Rolls, and to make such neces-
sary levies as the situation demanded. In
the meantime, Brown was; ordered ito con-
centrate with Fisk at Jefferson City, and
place it in state Of deknce, for the ene>
my's main force was ascertained to be mo
wing on it a. rapidly as possible.
As soon Is Sapborn reached Rolls, he and
McNeill were ordered to Jefferson City, as
was Fisk, 80 that when Price reached the
Ossge bridge, he found before him the com.
bined forces of those officers, aud adequate
defenees to hold the city against any attack
be could make. He forced the passage of
the Usage, and demonstrated on the capital
bat finding it more defencible than he an
! ticipated, he turned his forces westward and
fastened 20 B oonevllIe. s44Jl = [lE
General Fisk was the ranking officer at
Jefferson City, and might have made bet
ter thing Of his opportunity, IT, he had had
sufficient military skill and experience to
sally forth and attack Price IS he retreated
Fortunately, at this time Pleasanton arrived
and assumed command. He sent Sanborn
out OF, the pursuit at once, and waited for
Winslow's cavalry to pursue in person.
Price reached BoonviIls, with -Ssnborn on
his rear. He crossed the Lemoine, burned
the bridge, and then went to Glasgow,
where he gobbled up Colonel Harding, and
part of his regiment, the 43d, twelve
month men. a ..au. - n.r 81
And now commenced the brilliant cayal
~ operations of Major General Plessantou.
The cavalry, about 5000 strong, with eight
Rodman guns, were concentrated at Sedalia,
and on the morning of the 18th of Septem
ber, he placed himself at their head, and
Commenced the pursuit. The movenens
would have taken place sooner but that the
troops had to be marched overland, owing
to the, low stage of water In the Missouri.
They reached the line of the Rlackvater,
having marched by way Of Jefferson City
and Upton, and felt for the enemy in the
direction Of Marshal, Wsverly aud Lexipg-
ton. 80 anna
After severe dsy's march, 4. J. Smith
also reached the line of the Blackwater,
and was within suppe, ting distance of Gen.
Pleasanton on the 10th; but the latter,