Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

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the old Plantei-'s House in St. Louis between Price, Jackson, and Colonel Snead of the one part, and Blair, Lyon, and an aide-de-camp of the other, Lyon had closed the interview with H This means war. What war meant President Sherman of the Fifth Street railroad could say. Governor Jackson in his proclamation ordered the eight military districts to mobilize, with headquarters at Booneville, up the river between Jeiierson City and Lexington. Hearing of Lyon'sembarkation of troops lor Jeiierson City the Governor and General Price retired first to Booneville, on June 13, and then to Lexington. Price had no artillery and was forced to abandon the line of the Missouri river and withdraw to the south. It was Lyon's purpose to precipi- tate that course. Sweeny was ordered to meet Gen. Ben McCnlloh of the Con- federate army, advancing from northern Arkansas, and Lyon himself hastened to cutoff Price and Jackson with their State troops. On June 17 the battle of Booneville was fought, only a skirmish but a heavy blow to the Southern party. Booneville was the consummation of Blair's plan to make it impossible for Missouri to secede or contribute greatly to the Southern cause. The battle was a triumph for Lyon as well-at Camp Jackson he had disarmed the State, Booneville put the government to flight and made Missouri south of the river far safer. General Price had no part in the battle of Booneville. He had gone to Lexington to prepare the troops at that place for moving to some point near the Arkansas border. After the battle he and his staff returned toward Arkansas and joined McCullol1. St. Louis and the country within one hundred and fifty miles were now thoroughly safe for the Union. Governor Jackson withdrew to the southwest and at Carthage, near the Kansas border, met Sigel on February 5. Sigel was forced to retreat. On the next day Price and McCulloh entered Carthage. The victory, as they termed it, was very encouraging to the combined Confederate and State troops. Apparently, even yet, people could not realize how serious the matter was. McColloh went hack to Arkansas and Price formed an en- campment at Cowskin Prairie in the extreme southwest corner of Missouri. There were difficulties in the organization of such a force and the question of equipment was a staring one--the history of the makeshifts of the Confederacy would be an interesting volume. Lead could be had from the nearby mines. Major Thomas Price knew how to convert trees into monster moulds. Guibor established an arsenal of construction. Their first cartridges were like turnips, but they S0011 learnt. Meantime the Confederate government was slow and silly. The Convention was to re-assemble on July 22, when Jackson would certainly be unseatc-d.ll Decisive action was imperative, if Missouri was not to be finally lost. The administration seemed to place small store by Missouri, H with her 100,000 men and resources greater than all the Cotton States together. ll Hamilton R. Gamble tof Virginiaj and Willard P. Hall were the successors of Jackson and Reynolds. 19

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Lincoln sent Governor Jackson a requisition for four regiments from Missouri as her quota of the 75,000 men called for, Jacksoirs answer was, H Your requisition in my opinion, is illegal, unconstitutional, and revolutionary in its objects, in- human and diabolical, and cannot be complied with. What Blair did, with Lyon as the agent, was to spirit away the arsenal supplies up the river to Alton and thence to Springfield, Illinois. Although without authority to arm t-he State, Governor Jackson could as- semble the militia tor their animal manoeuvers. Orders were issued for a camp near St. Louis on May 6. Blair and Lyon were forehauded. They had already in the city a. force of more than tive hundred regulars, and five thousand well- armed volunteers, called German cut-throatsl' by the Southern party. April 30 orders, came from Washington to Captain Lyon of the Department ofthe West to raise ten thousand men, and, if necewary, to proclaim martial law in St. Louis. The papers bore the endorsement: 4' It is revolutionary times and there- foreil dotnot object to the irregularity of this. W. Sf, fWinIield Seottj. Col- onel Snead's trucnlent caption at this point is: tt Frank Blair rebels against the State. May 6 the militia assembled as directed, naming their camp in honor of Governor Jackson. Lyon drove t-hrough Camp Jackson on May 9, disguised as an old woman in a bombazine skirt, and inspected the ammunition ordered up by.President Davis. General Harney, in command of the Depart- ment ofthe West, was due to arrive. Lyon said that nobody knew what Harney Would do, and on May 10 Camp Jackson was forced to Slll'1'Blld61' to Brigadier General Lyon. Sherman, president of a street railway line in St. Louis, and Grant, in the city on business, saw all these things. The Legislature hurriedly passed resolutions condemning Blair and Lyon and authorizing the Governor to repel invasion or to put down rebellion, but unfortunately the Convention was only in recess. ' Best of all for the Southern party, General Price, Uunquestionably the most popular man in the State, tendered his services to Governor Jackson. 4' This is revolution, said General Price, H and I can't fight against the South. H On May 18 Price was appointed Major General of Missouri State Guards, and on May 21 he and General Harney attempted to settle matters on a gentlemanly basis: Price agreed to maintain order if Harney would permit no military movements within the Stale. This was the famous Price-Harney agreement, so offensive to the Radicals. Blair and Lyon at once wrote to President Lincoln that Harney was a dangerous man. A week later Lyon succeeded to the command of the Department of the West, headquarters St. Louis. Lyon had perhaps fifteen thousand men excellently equipped. General Price, at Jefferson City, could muster scarcely one thousand, with very poor equipment. Obviously the agreement was off, and Price an- nounced the fact to his eight brigadiers. On June 12 Governor Jackson issued a proclamation of war. The day before, at a very dramatic conference held in 18

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The battle of Manassas was fought July 21, 1861. At that time LyO11 was at Springfield in the Ozarks. Quick action would have crushed him, for he had his difficulties as well as Price, and could get no reinforcements. General Scott was doddery and Fremont Qin connnand of the new VVestern departmentj was weak. July 25 General Price advanced form Cowskin Prairie. By the 31st, having been joined by McCulloh and Pearce, he was within fifty-two miles of Springfield. The combined forces thus brought against Lyon-Conti-derates, Missourians, and Ax-kansans-amounted to 13,000 men, including 2,000 unarmed Missourians. Lyon's force was between 7,000 and S,000. Between August lst and August 8th General Price's patience was sorely tried. McCulloh had no confidence in the Missouri troops. He would not eo-operate, he said, unless Price yielded to him the command ofthe combined armies. General Price was exasperated, but willing. He said to McCulloh: 4' I ani an older man than you, General MeCulloh, and I am not only your senior in rank now but I was a briga- dier general in the Mexican war with an independent command when you were only a captain, I have fought and won more battles than you ever witnessed, my force is twice as great as yours and some of my officers rank and have seen more service than you, and we are also upon the soil of our own state. But,General MeCulloh, if you will consent to help us whip Lyon and to repossess Missouri, I will put myself and all my forces under your command, and we will obey you as faithfully as the humblest of your own men ...... All that we want is to regain our homes and to establish the independence of the South. If you refuse to accept this offer I will move with the Missourians against Lyon. . . . . I must have your answer before dark, for I intend to attack Lyon before tomorrow. McCulloh accepted the offer, after some hesitation. General Price published an order to the effect that he had resigned the command of his forces, to be resumed at his own pleasure. This was August 4. On the 8th McCulloh was still hesitating to attack. General Price rode up, his patience no longer controllable, and insisted with great vehemenee that MeCulloh should keep the promise he had made. McCulloh called a council. H General Price declared emphatically that if orders were not forthwith issued for a forward movement, he would assume command of the Missouri troops and himself give battle to Lyon, be the consequences what they might. Lyon forced the issue. He had but one line of retreat, and he felt that his best chance of success lay in an aggressive movement. On August 9th he moved out in two columns, Sigel being ordered to make a flank attack. The battle was fought among thick woods, Missourians against Missourians. Sigel coming up at the concerted time was routed at the Sharp House. Lyon at Bloody Hill Cwhere the battle was essentially foughtj to the north of the Sharp House, knew that his only hope was to charge upon Price. General Price won the battle. He was every- where, with an eye keen for advantage. H Long before the fight was over the men had all learned that their commander was one of the best and truest of 20