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

Page 22 text:

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

Page 21 text:

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

Page 23 text:

soldiers, one who would expose them to no useless danger nor to any danger which he would not share himself. Nobody knew until the battle was over that General Price had been wounded. General Lyon was killed in action. Springfield, or Wilson's Creek, was one of the bloodiest conflicts of modern times. At Bloody Hill almost twenty-tive per cent. of the troops engaged were killed or wounded. General McCulloh refused to follow up the demoralized Union army, in whose train were money and stores enough to arm, equip and supply 10,000 Confederates. In entering Missouri at all, McCullol1 said he had violated orders. His government, with its fatal shibboleth, as ifwar was to be waged with a senatorial courtesy, objected to the invasion of any state which had not seceded and joined the Confederacy. McCnlloh retired to the Indian Territory. General Price, on August 25, set out from Springfield with his Missourians for an expedition to the river. After chastising Lane's freebooters in the West, he began the seige of Lexington on September 13. The garrison, under the command of Colonel Mulligan, 'fone of the heroes of the war fto datej, was cut oft' from its water supply and sur- rendered onthe 20th. The fruits of this almost bloodless victory consisted of 3,500 prisoners, 5 pieces of artillery, over 3,000 stand of arms, 750 horses, about 8100,000 worth of commissary stores, and a large amount of other property. Also S5900,000 in money was recovered, and the great seal of the State, and the public records were restored to the Southern party. General Price was more than two weeks at Lexington. He then made a leisurely retreat, to the south- west, going into camp at Springfield. Here he was in easy communication with McCulloh and could protect the General Assembly which had been summoned to meet at Neosho, October 21. In this camp the troops had good quarters and plenty of food. They were disturbed for a time in November by the approach of Fremont with 30,000 men. February 13, 1862, the force retreated toward Arkansas before General Curtis, who had 12,000 men and fifty pieces of artillery. By March 2 they had reached a point in the Boston mountains, beyond Fayette- ville, where General Van Dorn took the command. Under him, against Curtis, was fought the losing battle of Pea Ridge, March 6-7 -8. Here General McCulloh was killed. Price's Missourians bore the brunt of the battle. They continu- ally pushed on, never yielded an inch they had won, and when at last they received the order to fall back, they retired steadily and' with cheers, thinking it only a change of position. April 8, 1862, General Price was transferred, with equal rank, from the command of the Missouri State Guard to the first division, Van Dorn's Army of the West. About ive thousand of the Missouri troops, the best material in the State, followed him into the Confederate service. Missouri had been lost. If Blair and Lyon had failed it would have fared ill with the Union cause in Kentucky. But Missouri out of danger, Kentucky was freed of lateral pressure on the west. McClellan and Rosecrans in West Virginia relieved the pressure on the east and made Fort Donelson possible. 21