The National tribune., 1891-02-26


The conference came to grief, AS i was not
moss BILE 90 relinauish the power and authority
OF the General Government within the State OF
Missouri rs Gov. jackson asked, on any condl-
tion whatever The conference which took
place i'm ST. Louis was broken mp without any
result except irritation 10 the parties 70 u, and
Gov. jackson retTeated rapidly TO Jefferson
City burning the railroad bridges between
ST. Louis aud the State Capital.
Price went with him. Still holding TO his
Union sentiments but placed ~ command oi
the State militia, and pressed upon by Gen,
Ivon. WHO followed them rapidly with what
military force he had 10 spare from St. bonls
q crisis WAS precipitated and a conflict brought
on near Bonneville between United states
troops and State militia, i'm which, more by
surprise and because of some mistaken ideas OF
the obligations of honor under the oircum-
stances than from conviction or inclination.
Price found himself in command oil the rebel
forces. lie WAS thus, j do not donht, very
reluctantly drawn into action he dId not ap-
prove in a cause
TO WHICH HE WAS IN REALITY OPPOSED.
Indeed. il Is hard 10 understand how any sensi.
bic mau in Missouri could have been IN favor
OF the secession of the State from the Union.
Slavery. the prime and IN fact only cause
of the civil war. not only had no value 10 the
State bat was positively an injury 10 its pros
perity, Hs nearly everybody openly admitted.
Besides this the State projects 20 the north
Ike n great pr0mOnt0ry, with the p0NerIul
abolition States of Kansas, Iowa and ILLINOIS
on three sides able az any time TO crush out
any force that Missouri could put into The
field aud inGamed with the zeal and passion
necessary 90 do so. Worse than all the South
did not want Missouri The great slave inter
est which dominated them had but feeble hold
on Missouri aud even had IL been otherwise
the South could never have retained the state
in Southern hands whilst il was ia the embrace
Of such powerful and determined neighbOrs,
ID was simply wicked TO attempt an lmpracbl-
CHlfe scheme which could only bring rum on
its supporters aud which was neither asked
nOF desired by the South. The result was-4
may assert and still be much within bounds
that Missouri suffered in loss OF property and
Che unhappiness OF her citizens far more than
any other State of tho Union. She left Tor y
time, o happy home where she was honored
aud loved for a new abode where she was not
even welcome guest, and where her highest
inteFcsts were subordiuated 10 those OF Others
little concerned about her welfare or her happl-
ness. What was moi stupid in the course 0i her
State officers in 1861 was wicked, and should
never have been c0ndoned so far as they were
concerned.
Beaten at Bonneville Price fell back into
the southern part of the State, closely followed
mp by Lyon with all the troops he could mus
ter. Price met Mccullough near the ARKANSAS
line
WITH HEAVY REINFORCEMENTs,
with which be moved back 10 Wilson's Creek,
near Springfield and fought the almost savage
battle Of that name, in which Lyon was killed
Rnd his army defeated. Tho Union forces ieii
back o. the railroad connecting with St LOUIS
and Price advanced slowly toward Lexington.
GA the Missouri River, near the scene OF his
defeat a month or two before He captured
Lexington, held by considerable Union force,
which he paroled, and fell back again toward
fhe south before the advance Of the Union
troops taking OF with him considerable sup
plies captRred there. This success stimulated
the Seress on spirit la Missouri wonderfully,
and thousands Of young men left their homes
90 join his army. As Fremont advanced, Price
continued to march south. After the comedy
nt Springfield, during which Gen. Fremont
was superseded by Gen. Hunter, the United
States troops. for want OF supplies, again with
drew TO the railroad, and Price again advanced
toward the Missouri River. This time how
ever De did not come north Of the Usage IN
the presrnre Of heavy forces along the line OF
the Missouri Pacific Railroad. but encamped on
the south side OF the Usage flooding the State
with pr0Clamations, aud holding has camp as
q rendezvous for the recruits these proclama-
tions wcFu expected to bring him. Some active
Operations cut of and captured considerable
bodies ol these recruits on me way 60 join him,
aud deferred many more from even attempting
It, aud after time he gradually withdrew
again 10 southern n MissOBri, where he was soon
followed by heavy Onion force under Gen.
s. II. Curtis. lu the northern part Of Arkansas
Price was again reinforced by Mccullough aud
his Texans, all under command Of Van Dorm,
and the
DECISIVE BATTLE or PEA RIDGE
wAs fought and lost 20 the enemy. For several
yean thereafter the mastery in Missouri Was
with the United States.
II may seem singular that should write at
such length about tile military career Of a mRn
who dad not hold a commission In either army,
aud whu was little known TO the general public
east OF tho Mississippi Int il must he considered
that few men exercised NO large an influence
In the prosecution Of the war IN the West, and
none who did 80 by mere force Of character aud
personal influence.
For near year he kept Missouri 10 com
motion. and thereby forced the Government 10
keep heavy i0rces iu the State which were
greatly needed elsewhere aud whose absence
from tie front impaired greatly the success Of
some important enterprises and prevented the
undertaking u Others. IN fact, the retention
Oi 20 many troops in lssouri, made necessary
by PTioe's presence and movements, greatly
embarrassed the Government and retarded the
general military operations IN progress or 10 be
uhucTahfH. bnu ihus, lH IKE degree, proved
advantageous 10 the enemy.
lt b. o. De- remembered too that the Secession
State ofu-B Of Missouri had fed from the
State; tHat there WAS la reality no constitu-
tona hiaig Government IN existence iH Mis-
souri, 20 encourage or give official sanction 10
any acts Whaleger done by Gen. Price or any
one else. aud that he absolutely carried on the
war in Missouri practically on his own resPon-
Eibility and according 10 his own Judgment,
and neither au official OF Missouri nor OF the
Southern Coniedemcy. A man who worked
Huch results under such conditions il certainly
man Wurhy of much more extended mention
than hAre bren able 20 give him.
lie died Hs be- had lived. an uuassuming nn-
ambition citizen, Of simple tastes and quiet
habits pun in character. sincere In belief and
peTiertly honest in every act. No man who
ever lived ln Missouri was more respected or
loved 50 we'll Even those against whom he
fought always recognized aud bore testimony
20 hib humanity and nis honorable dealing and
perhaps Dor ls even yet ne truly aud genuinely
esteemed and regretted by many Union men as
by the mo- ardent Of his p4rtsaus
10 De- ooatsaodl
Where They Mere Going.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: in northeast
ern Hand County. S. d.. lives a little girl
named Lilly who like al iittle girls, al lWayi