The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-09-13
THE LOST ARMY.

and had the benefit of a Northern training
While the Northern mules might be supposed /
to have a thirst for travel that would make /
geographical facts sink deep into their hearts
those of the more southern State were content
to remain in their ignorance and, like JEFF
Davis, all they asked was to be let alone"
You're saying that in joke, OF course, re-
marked the Quartermaster when Jack ex-
planned the reason of the difference in the
animals Of the two States " But let me tell
you" he continued, that you're nearer fact
than you suppose, Like master like man IS
an old adage, and why shouldn't a Missouri
mule be like Missouri man2 As q general
thing the Missouri people have opposed every
thing shat tended 10 the development Of the
State l refer to the slayeholding portion,
or those who sympathize with slavery, though
they may have no slaves of their own"
How was that?'
They were afraid it would interfere with
their system of slavery, as they saw it would
bring in a population that believed in freedom
instead of the old state Of things. When the
Butterfeld Overland Stage Line was established
from St. Louis to California they tried all they
could to stop it; they declared it wasn't need
ed; and they did the same when the Western
Union Telegraph Co. wanted to build q line
across the State. They opposed the railways
that have been built ia various parts of the
State, and for the same reason, notwithstanding
the fact that the railways would make their
- z
market. / have lived in Missouri and know
what Pm talking about.
" Education has always been much more
backward in the South than in the North, as
everybody knows, and it is the system of
slavery that caused this backwardness. Travel
through the Northern States and you see a
sehoolhouse in every village and almost at
every crossroad, but in the South you may 90
hundreds Of miles without seeing a schOOlhOuse.
This one fact speaks volumes in itself and
illustrates the conditions growing out Of slavery
on the one hand and freedom on the other.
people that do not want education do not
want railways and telegraphs, or anything else
that indicates progress. Only when the South
gets rid of slavery will it wake up and adopt
the institutions Of the North"
Regarding the South in the light Of the pres
enb day, the words uttered by the Quarter
master may be regarded as prophetic. lit is
only since the war wiped away the stain of
slavery that the Southern States have Wed
with the North in developing their resources
and have sought to have q really Intelligent
population. Before the war education was con-
fined chiefly to the rich or the well-tO-do, the
majority of the poor whites being but little
above the negro in the scale of intelligence.
Thousands on thousands of them were unable
| to read or write, and those who could do so had
| little knowledge Of the rest of the world
Our young friends had frequent opportuni-
ties to test the intelligence of the natives of
the region through which they were travelling,
and many of their experiences were amusing.
One day they talked with a farmer who had
an impression that St. Louis was the largest
city in the world, and practically the only one.
| He had heard Of New York and Chicago. but
had no clear idea of their location except that
they were somewhere in the North and did
not believe they amounted to much anyway.
He thought Abraham Lincoln was a black
man. who had somehow been made President
of the United States By the Aboiitionists, and
if his armies succeeded in eOnquering the South
| the Government would be altogether in the
/ hands Of the blacks, who would speedily pro-
ceed to enslave the rest of the population and
have white men for niggers."
Several times they talked with men and
! women who were much surprised to find the
Yankee soldiers were white men; they had
expected to see only negroes, aud especially
thought it strange that the officers were white
instead of black. 4 woman at whose house
they stopped to get drink Of water said she
didn't mind the white soldiers, but when it
came to the Black Republicans she wouldn't be
able to endure them.
"Why, we are Black Republicans, madam or
would be if we could vote, said Jack
No, you can't be-" was the reply; you're
| just as white as We-'uns if you'd only wash
your faces"
The boys good naturedly enlightened her on
the subject by explaining that the term . Black
Republicans was a derisive one, which the
Democrats had applied TO the Republican party,
and had no reference to the complexion of
those who voted the Republican ticket. They
were not sure that they had convinced her,
though they certainly raised doubts in her
mind when she saw the hundreds and thou
| sands of men that marched past the place. and
/ all of them anything but negroes.
| Another time they were less successful, as
the native whom they sought to instruct
| pointed triumphantly to the eolored servant of
| one of the officers, who was mounted on spare
/ horse belonging to his employer.
| Don't talk to me that way" was the angry
| retOrt, when there's one of your Generals, a
regular niger. on black horse"
] The joke was too good to be kept, and that
evening it was circulated through the camp.
/ 1t caused a good deal of laughter, and for some
! days the servant who had been the innocent
! cause of the mistake was addressed by his as
| sociates as General"
There was no fighting on the march from
/ Bonneville to Springfield, as the State forces
! under Gov Jackson and Gen. Price were on
| their line of march considerably farther west,
| and had a good start. They were being fol-
| lowed by a column from LeavenwOrth under
command OF Maj. Sturgis but the pursuers
were not able to oyertake them, being delayed
at the crossing of a river which lay on their
route. 1t had been hoped that the rebels would
be caught between the two columns of Sturgis
/ and Sweeney and If they had been thus caught
there was an excellent chance of Union vic
| tory.
As the days wore on after the arrival OF the
| Union forces at Springfield, the most impOr-
tant town of southwestern Missouri, the situa.
tion became critical. 1t was known that Gen
Price had formed a camp at Cowskin Prairie
near the southwest corner of the State, to wall
for the reinforcements that were promised by
the Confederacy, and it was soon learned that
these reinforcemeHts had arrived and Price was
about to move on Springfield.
Altogether Gen. Lyon had about 5000 mel
under his command, but many of them were
enlisted for only three months the expiration
of the time Of some of them was fast approach
ing, and others were already free to go home
Gen. Fremont had been placed in command
of the department, and to him Gen. Lyon sen
an earnest appeal for reinforcements, saying h'
would be compelled to retreat unless troop
were sent to him. The desired troops were
promised, but before they started the rebels
threatened Cairo, in Illinois, and the regiments
destined for Gen. Lyon were sent there IN
stead of going to southwestern Missouri, a
! originally intended.
Lyon was receiving no Teinforcements, while
Price was gaining in strength and adding L
the effectiveness of his men. About the 20tt
of July Lyons force was weakened by the de
parture of two regiments of three-month
men whose time had expired, while the tim
of the 1st Iowa (the regiment to which Jacl