Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-11-06

JOSEPH SHELBY O. s. A., DABH
ING CAVALRY COMMANDER.
without hindrunce. The tights with
Ewing checked him. This delay gave
General Rosecrans. Federal commander
at st. Louis, precious time. Few re-
cruits joined Price. His original plan
was evidently to march against st
Louis, and he did advance to Rich
wood, only forty miles from that city.
moving through Potosi.
But Federal troops were by this time
pouring into st. Louis. A. j. Smiths
command was between St Louis and
Price. The Confederates burned O
railroad bridge at Moselle Oct. l.
There. finding the strong force on his
front, Price changed his intention and
turned westward toward jefferson
City. He crossed the Gasconade and
Usage rivers and burned a village and
a railroad bridge.
On Oct Z Price appeared before JEFF
ferson City. Generals Sanborn and
Mcneil had hastily gathered at Rolla
such Federal forces as they could mus.
ter and marched on the double quick
to the state capital, reaching it just In
time to oppose Prices entrance. They
had 1000 cavalry and 5000 infantry.
Headed For Jefferson City.
A small Federal force skirmished
with Price east Of Jefferson City and
then fell back. followed by the Con.
federates. Reaching the town, Price
surrounded it. But he did not attack.
On his track now were A. ]. Smiths
command Of 1850. General Joseph A
Mowers veteran division and Wins
lows cavalry. Confronting the Con
federate leader at Jefferson City were
the 1000 troops of Sanborn and Nc
Neill. In hot pursuit behind him were
Smith. Mower and Winslow. He dared
not wait
AS soon as his wagon train was fair.
ly on its way ahead of him Price con
tinued on westward. Meantime Gen.
eral Alfred Pleasonton arrived at JEFF
ferson to take command of all the
mounted troops in the state. He or.
dered Sanborn's cavalry to follow
Price and harass and delay him until
Smith and Mower could overtake him,
Sanborn attacked Prices rear guard at
Versailles. Price formed in battle line
and quickly repulsed Sanborn. who fell
back to get re-enforcements. Price
did not pursue, but took the route to
Boonville. on the Missouri river.
Smiths. Mowers and Winslow's yari
Gus commands reached jefferson City
from the 14th to the 10th Of October.
But by this time Price was twenty-five
miles west of Bonneville. headed for
the Kansas border. At this point he
boldly sent Shelby's cavalry across to
the north side Of the Missouri at Arrow
Rock. At Glasgow, in Howard coun.
ty, Mo-, was a detachment of troops
under Colonel Harding. Shelby at
tackled and after a fight Of seven hours
captured the command
The Federal troops were close be
hind the Confederates. On Oct. is
and 10 A. j. Smiths force was as fai
west as Dunksburg. Mower was al
the Lamine river. The pursuit was
not vigorous. The Federals followed
Price by two routes. Pleasonton. with
a body of cavalry, held the northerIy
road nearest the Missouri river and IL
the direction Of Lexington. Mover
and Smith pursued a southerly route
leading directly west
General ]. G.. Blunt was in command
Of the federal department of Kansas
He had sent a division over the north
arn border into Missouri to head OF
Price. There were various small en-
gagements, in which Blunt's division
was driven westward to Independence
Prices army was now constantly being
recruited from the Confederate sympa
thizers in western Missouri. AS he al
Sanced he burned bridges. which nee
essarily delayed his pursuers. Only
for this Smiths forces would haze