Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-09-18

enough of them sufficiently veteran
| troops to have seasoned and nodded
the raw recruits into steady soldiers.
From all parts of the state. even the
most removed and exposed, they con-
tinued to come, and another success
would probably have given him a hun
dred thousand men. He was visited
by many distinguished citizens. eminent
In politics and the learned professions;
some of them Union men, who could
otlbnt feel persona! sympathy with
their fellow -cltizens, though q sense of
lifelong loyalty, and doubt of the pol
ICY OF Governor jackson, committed
them to the Union cause. The differ.
ference in sentiment and opinion did
not destroy their personal sentiments.
This can readily be understood when
we know that Gen. Frank Blair avow-
ed, after the war, that he had always
been IN personal sympathy with his
kindred and blood of the south although
he was ready to sacrifice all and every
considerations to the preservation of the
Union. 1t is reported OF Gen. Blair
that, after the war, he said, of the test
oath in the Drake constitution, that it
contained eighty different and distinct
periuries, and could only be taken by
one who was ready to forswear his
manhood: Gen Doniphan, who had
served with him in the Mexican war,
was i'll our camp to visit Gcn. Price,
although he had declined command
OF one OF our divisions under the mill
tary bill. Old men and young, matrons
and maidens, persons of every calling
aud walk in life, came into camp, some
on missions OF mercy, and to visit sick
and wounded relatives, others impelled
by curiosity. The young men mostly
enlisted; many of the older and more
capable sought positions and promo
ton. As, after the battle of Wilson
Creek, the veteran ranks had been
depleted by the granting of leaves of
absence and furloughs to officers and
soldiers, that they might bring back
more recruits, their mission was now
bearing fruit. There were many who
sought our camp in the day Of our
triumph, who fell away and walked
with US no more when in calamity and
exile. Some Of them joined the enemy
in his success, and led battalions
against us.
Among the spOils of our victory sur
rendered by Col. Mulligan, as stated, by
zen. Price i'll bis report, was $685. 900
In money, belonging to the Farmers
Bank, OF Lexington. This had been
seized by Mulligsn's predecessor to
prevent it from falling into Prices
hands. WheD turned over it was
*l5,OOO short in count. But Mulligan,
who wished to have clean hands, fol-
lowed it up and had it restored. The
owners of the money, of course, were
Union men as well as southern, and
General Price, with honest impartiality,
treated them all as friends and citizens
Of the state for which he was fighting,
and restored 1t to the owners without
using cent. 1t was, l believe, the
first instance of the doctriue of post
minimum, as laid down in the law of
nations, being applied, and that by the
leader of so.called lawless rebellion
in the service Of state having no rec
oganized national existence. The ap-
plication of this doctrine was on the
theory that the Union forces were the
public enemy.
1t may be thought that with the
effective force in hand Gen. Price
might have been more active during
the few days he found it safe to remain
in Lexington. The business of organ
izstion could have gone on, and his
lmportunate correspondence with Nc
Culloch, asking aid and cooperation,
need not have interfered with the active
employment of the troops or the cap
ture OF other towns from the domination
of home guards. But this Is easily ex-
planned in one word, caps! The cap
ture of MulligaD's command left him
scarcely two rounds of percussion
caps, and what he could get from vari-
Gus sources by smugglers through the
enemy's lines, from st. Louis and
elsewhere. together with the small sup
ply brought by courier from Arkansas,
was not more than sufficient to supply
the daily waste. He therefore present.
ed bold front till his information of
the enemy's movements impressed him
with the necessity of active movements
to correspond with the disposition
made and being made by Gen. Ere.
mont. To this end he called in such
outposts and recruiting parties as were
in immediate reach, and prepared to
move southwark on the I'd of October.
1t was with many regrets our army
prepared to obey orders. The abandon
ment of the Missouri to the enemy, and
our compromised friends to the mercies
Of the federal militia, caused sorrow,
but 1t was with more sorrow we
thought of the necessary parting with
our hospitab.e friends, whose open
houses and sbounding tables had made
m 0f fhoir 70 voiIsao