Springfield-Greene
County LibraryChapter 10
From the Battle of Wilson's Creek to the Close of 1861
Part 3
Fremont's Army Appears — The Neosho Secession ordinance — Incidents of Fremont's occupation — His Treaty with Gen. Price — Fremont Superseded by Hunter — Fixing to Fight 25,000 Confederates "in Buckram" — Hunter Appears — Burning of the Old Court House — Flag Presentation — The Ladies of Springfield and Maj. Zagonyi — The Federals Fall Back — Another Exodus of Unionists — Sad Scenes — The Stay of Fremont's Army — Jim Lane and His Jay-Hawkers — Under the Stars and Bars — "Pressing" — Merchant Moss and the confederate Commissary — Foraging — Arrest of Unionists — Price's Army Again Goes North — The County occupied by Confederates — Recruiting of the Confederate Cause — Gen. Price and His Army Back for Christmas Dinner.
FREMONT'S ARMY APPEARS.
The success of Zagonyi's expedition was followed by a forced march held by Fremont's army, and on the 27th of October it entered the county and the same day reaped Springfield, making a march of about thirty miles in twelve hours. To Sigel's division was assigned the honor of the advance and the distinction of the first entry. How well Sigel knew each street and important place and nearly every house in Springfield! Doubtless the town had for him memories at once pleasurable and painful. The Federal army was received by the Unionists as deliverers and October 27 was regarded as a gala day.
Asboth's division arrived three days after Sigel's, and was soon followed by Gen. Jim Lane's Kansas brigade. McKinstry's division was then up on the Pomme de Terre, sixty miles away, and Pope and Hunter were still straggling along down from the north, and were thought to be somewhere near Warsaw. Fremont was slightly uneasy. Gen. Price was out at Neosho with a considerable army, and McCulloch was not so far away but that he could come up in a day or two, and "the Pathfinder" must have experienced something of the anxiety undergone by Lyon three months previously. But no sudden movement was made by Price—for "Old Pap" never did anything suddenly—and on the 1st and 3d of November Pope came up, reporting that he had marched sixty miles in two days, and McKinstry's division soon followed, and then all was safe.
THE NEOSHO SECESSION ORDINANCE.
On the 26th of October "Claib. Jackson's Legislature,"— as it was called, met in the Masonic Hall at Neosho, and on the 28th an ordinance of secession was passed by both houses. In the Senate the only vote against it was cast by Charles Hardin, then Senator from the Boone and Callaway district, and afterward Governor of the State, and in the House the only member voting "no" was Mr. Shambaugh, of DeKalb. According to the records and to Mr. Shambaugh, there were in the Jackson Legislature at the time but 39 members of the House and 10 members of the Senate, when by the constitution a quorum for the transaction of business was required to consist of 17 Senators and 67 Representatives. Be that is it may, the secession ordinance and the act of annexation to the Southern Confederacy were approved by the Confederate Congress at Richmond, recognized by that portion of the people of Missouri who were in favor of cutting loose from the old Union, and Gen. Price fired a salute in honor thereof. And so those Missourians then and afterwards in arms against the Federal flag became entitled to the name of Confederates, and will so be denominated in future pages of this history, instead of being called "State Guards," "secessionists," "Southern troops," etc., as they have hitherto been spoken of. [387]
Hon. F. T. Frazier, of this county, and then the Senator from this district, was a member of the Neosho convention, and voted for secession. Messrs. Boyd and Headlee, the Greene county Representatives, were in the Federal service at the time.
INCIDENTS OF FREMONT'S OCCUPATION—
HIS TREATY WITH GEN. PRICE.
On the 1st of November after his occupation of Springfield, Gen. Fremont concluded with Gen. Price a sort of treaty, by the terms of which no arrests whatever on account of political opinions or for the private expression of the same were to be made by either Confederates or Federals within the State, and all persons then under arrest on such charges were to be released. All citizens who had been driven from their homes because of their political opinions were advised to return with the assurance that they should receive protection from both armies in the field. All bodies of armed men acting without the authority or recognition of either Gen. Fremont or Gen. Price and not legitimately connected with the armies in the field were ordered to disband. Violations of either of the provisions of the treaty subjected the offender to the penalties of military law, according to the nature of the offense. The treaty was signed by Gen. Fremont in person and by Henry W. Williams and D. Robert Barclay, commissioners on behalf of Gen. Price. A second clause provided for the exchange of prisoners "grade for grade," or two officers of lower grade as an equivalent in rank for one of a higher grade, as should be thought just and equitable.
A week later, after Fremont's supersession by Hunter, the latter repudiated the treaty, so far as the Federal authority was concerned, in the following letter to Gen. Price:
Headquarters Western Department |
Gen. Hunter's reasons for the repudiation of the treaty, as given to the War Department, were that the stipulation that no arrests were to made "for the mere entertainment or expression of political opinions," if acceded to, would "render the enforcement of martial law in Missouri, or any part of it, impossible, and would give absolute liberty to the propagandists of treason throughout the State." The stipulation confining operations exclusively to "armies in the field," Gen. Hunter said would "practically annul the confiscation act passed during the last session of Congress, and would furnish perfect immunity to those disbanded soldiers of Price's command who have now returned to their homes, but with the intention and under a pledge of rejoining the rebel forces whenever called upon, and furthermore blot out of existence the loyal men of the Missouri Home Guard, who have not, it is alleged, been recognized by act of Congress, and who, it would be claimed, are therefore not 'legitimately connected with the armies in the field.' "
The Home Guards of Greene and surrounding counties were glad that Hunter rejected the Price treaty, since they believed Fremont aimed to destroy their organization, and drive them into the regular Federal service, although a fair construction of the treaty would not indicate any such purpose.
FREMONT SUPERSEDED BY HUNTER.
On the morning of November 2d, a messenger arrived at Springfield from St. Louis, bearing an order, signed by Gen. Scott, for Fremont's removal from command. He was directed to pass over his command to General Hunter, and to report by letter to the War Department. There is no mistaking the fact that there was considerable dissatisfaction in the camps, especially among Sigel's and Asboth's divisions, on the receipt of the news that Fremont had been removed, and a deputation of 110 officers from these divisions presented him with an address of sympathy and confidence and asked him to lead them on to battle.
Hunter not having come in up to the evening of November 3d, and a reconnaissance by Asboth's division that day resulting in finding that the Confederates were concentrating in force on Wilson's creek, and McCulloch's army being reported at Dug Spring, Fremont concluded not to abandon his charge, though suspended from office, and, agreeably to the request of his officers, concluded to go out and engage the enemy and fight and win a battle before his successor could get up. Accordingly orders were promulgated for the army to march out on the morning of the 4th, against Price and McCulloch (who were believed to have consolidated by that time), and the poor people of Springfield were again terrified with the knowledge that another battle of Wilson's Creek was to be fought—deadlier, bloodier than the first. [389]
FREMONT FIXES TO FIGHT.
Fremont's order of march and battle commanded that Asboth should have command of the right wing; McKinstry the center; Sigel the left wing, and Pope the reserve. McKinstry's column was to leave camp at 6 o'clock in the morning and proceed by the Fayetteville road to the upper end of the upper cornfield on the left of where Gen. Lyon had made his first attack. Gen. Sigel was to start at 6 o'clock and follow his old trail, except that he was to turn to the right some two miles sooner and proceed to the old stable on the lower end of the lower cornfield. Asboth was to start at half-past 6, and march out on the Mt. Vernon road about five miles, then by a prairie road reach the right of a ravine opposite the lower field. Jim Lane was to join Sigel's division and Gen. Wyman was to join Asboth. Pope was to start at 7 o'clock by the Fayetteville road, following McKinstry's division. The different divisions were to come into their positions about the same time, 11 o'clock, at which hour a simultaneous attack was to be made upon the Confederates supposed to be in camp on the old Wilson's Creek battleground. Each regiment was to carry three two-horse wagons to transport the wounded. The baggage trains were to be packed and held in readiness at Springfield, where one regiment and two pieces of artillery of Pope's division were to remain as a reserve.
These preparations were reasonably magnificent, and as Fremont's army numbered about 30,000 men of all arms, if they had been carried out, would doubtless have secured a complete victory, since the Confederates, it was supposed, did not number, all told, more than 25,000, the most of whom were poorly armed and undisciplined. But the fact that there were not at that time 25,000 men on the old battleground on Wilson's creek, or the half of 25,000, or the half of the half of 25,000, but only a force of observation of some 1,500 Confederate cavalry, who might gallop away in safety in five minutes, might have interfered somewhat with Gen. Fremont's plans and expectations, which were ultimately to be, as he wrote himself, to "over-throw the rebels at one blow, push on into Arkansas to Little Rock, then on to Memphis, Vicksburg, and New Orleans," and only stop, perhaps, when the waters of the Gulf of Mexico should wash his feet and say to him, "thus far shalt thou come and no farther."
HUNTER APPEARS.
But while Fremont and his generals were in consultation at midnight of the 3d, Hunter came in, and Fremont turned over everything to him. With Hunter's instructions to resume command was an order from the War Department to fall back to Rolla, as the Confederates in Southwest Missouri were only maneuvering to draw out the Federals and keep them employed out here in great numbers, while Gen. Pillow's army should steal up the Mississippi from Columbus, Ky., capture St. Louis, and work incalculable mischief! There was scarcely a shadow of truth in this supposition, as was afterwards learned, and it was only a revival of the old idea of Fremont's which caused him to hold back reinforcements from Lyon the previous July and August.
Upon receipt of the order dismissing him from command, Gen. Fremont issued an address to the army, of which the following is a verbatim copy:
Headquarters Western Department |
On the 4th Fremont left for St. Louis, via Jefferson City. He was accompanied by the Body Guard and Sharpshooters as a special escort and the most of his staff returned with him, and soon were dismissed from service. Zagonyi's guardsmen were not recognized as having any official existence, and soon were compelled to lay aside their sabers.
BURNING OF THE OLD COURT-HOUSE.
On the morning of October 27, Fremont's advance guard, Major Holman's battalion of sharpshooters, entered Springfield and occupied the place. A few prisoners had been captured and confined in the old brick courthouse, then standing in the center of the square. One of them was an insane man, who had been arrested while wandering about cheering for "Jeff Davis, Jesus Christ and the Devil. In some way the poor maniac contrived to fire the building, and when discovered the flames had made such headway that with the means at hand they could not be extinguished, and it was soon consumed. The irresponsible incendiary clapped his hands as the flames rolled up and the building went down, and praised God heartily for "burning up a million devils and destroying the souls of ten thousand body-l—e!" The court-house was burned on the evening of October 28th.
FLAG PRESENTATION.
Upon the entrance of Gen. Fremont's army and the reappearance of his Body Guard and Maj. White's command, certain Union ladies of Springfield, Mrs. Sophia N. Worrell, Mrs. W. H. Graves and others, determined to present a flag to the Body Guard, in recognition of its services in assisting so materially in the recapture of the town, and in admiration of the gallant charge and fight made a few days before. In some way a portion of White's command learned of the ladies' intentions, and, with certain smooth representations, induced them to believe that they, the "Prairie Scouts," were entitled to receive the flag. The ladies agreed to give it to them, and so straightway up rode White's command to Mrs. Worrell's grocery, then, as now, on the south side of the public square, and received the banner, a very beautiful one, from the hands of the fair donor.
Meantime Zagonyi had been informed that he was to be presented with a flag, and at the head of the Body Guard was just riding up on the square to receive it when he saw White's men bearing off the prize, and be wheeled about and returned to his quarters, purpling the air with Hungarian profanity. The poor ladies, when they heard of their mistake, were in a great state, to be sure! To make all the amends possible they resolved to present another fine flag to the Body Guard, and accordingly so notified Major Zagonyi. But the fiery Hungarian was as pouty as he was fiery, and would not receive the banner after what had passed, and so sent the ladies this reply:
Headquarters Fremont Body Guard, Springfield, Nov. 2, 1861. |
THE FEDERALS FALL BACK—ANOTHER EXODUS.
November the 9th the large and well-equipped Federal army of 30,000 men, composed of infantry, cavalry and artillery—Missourians, Kansans, Iowans, Illinoians, Indianians, Wisconsins, Ohioans—the best army ever west of the Mississippi river, began falling back from Springfield from before a theory! It was said that Hunter acted in obedience to orders from Washington sent along with the dispatch relieving Fremont, for, as previously stated, it had been learned at Washington that Price and McCulloch were only "drawing" the Federal forces to prevent their concentration along the Mississippi, up which the decisive Confederate movement was to be made. [393]
That Gen. Price did not intend to fight was shown by his falling, back whenever the Federals advanced upon him. Two days before the main body of the Federal army left Springfield for Rolla, Price fell back from Cassville to near the Arkansas line. At about the same time, or November 7, Gen. Grant, then a brigadier, went down from Cairo and attacked a portion of Gen. Pillow's command, in camp at Belmont, opposite Columbus, Ky., and a considerable fight came off. Gen. Grant was well posted as to the designs of the enemy in his front, and he says he attacked Pillow "to prevent him from sending out reinforcements to Price's army in Missouri," and it is now well known that Gen. Price had asked for and was expecting reinforcements from Gens. Pillow and Polk to enable him to resist the Federal advance in this quarter.
November 8th the divisions of Sigel and Asboth pushed forward to Wilson's creek, not with design of attacking Price and McCulloch, but as a feint to cover the Federal retreat from Southwestern Missouri. The day following, the rear guard of the army marched out of Springfield, en route for St. Louis, via Rolla; and thus ended the magnificent campaign which had been three months in preparation and had engaged the time and attention of so many minds. The ending was simply ridiculous. No wonder Gen. Price was astonished and incredulous, suspicioning a "Yankee trick," when he heard of it.
All Southwest Missouri was abandoned indefinitely to the Confederates, and not caring to trust themselves to their tender mercies once more, hundreds of Union families left the country and followed the army in great distress and disappointment. Knowledge that there was to be a retreat coming to many families, they set out in advance of the army. The road was filled for miles with the wagons and the flocks and herds of the refugees, and the hegira was something wonderful. From Greene, Christian, Stone, Lawrence, Polk, Wright, Webster and Dallas and other counties; there went entire communities. When Fremont's large and magnificent army had come into the country, these people had imagined that Federal domination was to be made permanent, and they had been greatly elated; but now, in only a few days, everything was changed. The army had come in with a great waving of banners, and amid a fanfare of bugles, the blare of brass bands, the beating of drums, and all the pomp and circumstance of glorious war; and now it was sneaking away without firing a gun or having one fired at it, and the multitudes who had welcomed its coming with such general acclaim, were fain to follow it. And so they went. Gathering such articles as were most urgently needed and could be easily transported, the Union people of Greene packed up hastily, and abandoning their homes, set out in mournful processions for the Northland, where they expected to find peace and security. And as they left home, many, like the poor Arcadians were—
Pausing and looking back to gaze once more on their dwellings,
Ere they were shut from sight by the winding road and the woodland.
Close at their sides their children ran and urged on their oxen,
While in their little hands they clasped some fragments of playthings.
Many of the families of Greene county who went away with Hunter's army did not return until the war was over. A few never came back. Some of the merchants of Springfield who packed up their goods and went to Rolla, engaged in business at that point with good success. A few of the refugees, traveling and camping by themselves, were set upon by bushwhackers that infested the roadway and robbed. The family of Mr. Thomas Green, whose home was two miles south of Springfield, were plundered one night when up in Phelps county, but the robbers lay down to sleep after they had obtained their "loot," and two of Mr. Green's daughters stole out and made their way to a large camp of refugees, two miles distant, and help coming up, the brigands were secured.
THE STAY OF FREMONT'S ARMY.
While Fremont's army did not remain long in this county, it left a reputation behind it for containing a great number of lawless characters, plunderers and thieves, who would steal an thing from a negro to a spring pullet. This was to be expected in such a large army, composed of all sorts of men. No open pillaging, or but little, was done, but there was considerable petty larceny and some grand larceny. Jim Lane's men carried off some negroes with them, some of whom belonged at the time to Union men. A few houses were burned.
Considerable foraging was done, and not all of it was "off the enemy," as the military maxim teaches. The stay of the army was brief, to be sure, but during the time a good many bushels of corn were hauled out of the Greene county corn fields to the camps at Springfield to feed the cavalry and artillery horses. It is but justice to state, however, that wherever any sort of property was taken by authority from Union men, vouchers were given for its fall value, and the owners ultimately recovered pay in full. [394-395]
UNDER THE STARS AND BARS.
Not long after the Federal army evacuated Springfield and left Greene county, the Confederate forces began again to possess the land. At the time of the Federal occupation, Price's army was in different portions of Barry and McDonald counties. A part was at Pineville, in McDonald, another part was at Gadfly, in Barry, while the whole army for a time was at Cassville, where Gov. Jackson's Legislature was in session for a week, convening October 31 and adjourning November 7.
McCulloch did not learn that the Federal army had fallen back from Springfield until the night of the 15th. At that time he was near the Arkansas line, 72 miles away. The next day he moved his army forward, and on the night of the 18th reached Springfield. On his arrival he reported to the Richmond authorities, among other matters, "The Union men have nearly all fled with the Federal troops, leaving this place almost deserted." (Rebellion Record, p. 743.) At that time Price was to the northward, seemingly making for the Missouri river.
By the latter part of November the greater portion of the Southern army was encamped in and about Springfield. The camps were in the town and on every side of it. Every available house was occupied for military purposes of some sort, either as headquarters, hospital, quartermaster or commissary depot, barracks or stables. In some instances, officers and men were quartered in the front rooms of vacated dwellings, while their horses were stabled in the kitchen! One instance of this kind was that of the house of Mr. Worrell, a Unionist, who lived on the south side of the public square, where now resides his widow, one of the ladies concerned in the flag presentation to Fremont's Body Guard. Upon the retreat of Hunter, Mr. Worrell retreated with the army and the family followed soon after. They had kept a small grocery and confectionery. Not being able to take all their goods with them, Mrs. Worrell sewed up long sacks, filled them with goods and suspended them between the weather-boarding and the plastering in the spaces between the studding, replacing the "washboards" up stairs, which had been removed to facilitate the work. When Price's troops came in, they occupied the front rooms of this building themselves, and converted the kitchen and rear rooms into stables and stalls for the horses. They partitioned the large front room into two rooms, and wanting a window in the near one, they cut an opening in the side wall. Luckily for Mrs. Worrell, the window was cut between the studding where no bag of goods had been suspended, and the existence of her canned fruits, cove oysters, sardines, pickles, etc., in such close proximity to them, was never even suspected by the troopers. When Mrs. W. returned to Springfield in the following February, she had an interesting time in house-cleaning, but found her goods all safe and sound. [396]
The Confederate commissary and quartermaster's departments in this part of the army were sadly deficient in supplies. Only by some very industrious foraging were they kept in anything like good condition. Sometimes a levy for supplies was made on open Confederate sympathizers.
Upon Price's occupation of Springfield, an assistant quartermaster of Rains' division, accompanied by a another officer, rode up to the general store of J. S. Moss & Co. Entering the store the officers were warmly greeted by Mr. Moss, who assured them that he was glad to welcome them to Springfield; that his sympathies were with the Southern cause, and that he would be glad to serve it and them to any reasonable extent. The quartermaster replied that he was glad to meet a good Southern man, at any time, and especially at this time. "And," said he, "Mr. Moss, I have it in my power to do you a favor, perhaps. I have been furnished with plenty of money and empowered to make purchases for the benefit of the army. I see you have quite a stock of clothing, etc., and I assure you that I will give you my patronage as long as you have anything I want." Mr. Moss made his best bow in reply, and as the officers departed turned to his partners and his clerks and expatiated on the power and utility of kind words to and courteous treatment of strangers, especially military officers in time of wars and armies, as illustrated by the incident just passed.
The next morning there drove up in front of Mr. Moss & Co.'s establishment two huge army wagons, belonging to Rains' division, and accompanying them was the generous quartermaster. Piles and piles of goods were soon transferred from the shelves and counters of the store to the capacious maws of the army wagons, the quartermaster and Mr. Moss carefully checking off each article as it passed out, and noting its price, which Mr. Moss took care should be a generous one, and which his new-made friend did not object to. At last the store was about stripped and some $5,000 worth of clothing, boots and shoes and other articles had changed hands within a few minutes. [397]
Then came the payment. The amount having been ascertained, from forth a huge wallet the quartermaster drew handful after handful of bills of the kind known as "Missouri scrip," issued by the Claib. Jackson government to carry on the war, and wholly dependent for value on the success of the Confederate cause! Then he began counting over to Mr. Moss in this currency the amount of his bill. "Is this what you call money, Major?" asked the astonished merchant. "Certainly," said the quartermaster, "and very good money it is, too." Then resuming his count—"three thousand five hundred— four thousand—." In alarm Moss interrupted: "And have you no gold at all?" "Not a red. Four thousand five hundred—five thousand—five thousand two hundred—" and so on until the amount was covered in good, new, shiny, crisp Missouri scrip, of which Price's army had plenty, "the volume of currency being kept equal to the demands of trade!"
When the trade had been consummated and Moss had signed a receipt, he said to the quartermaster: "Major, I am a good Southern man and all that, and I appreciate your gentlemanly conduct and desire to do me a favor, but in the future you will greatly oblige me if you will distribute your 'patronage' around among the rest of the merchants—sort of divide it up, you know—give the rest of the boys a chance, as it were. I am not hoggish; I know when I have enough, and I assure you that I have no desire at present for any more custom from either you or any other of Gen. Price's quartermasters."
Considerable foraging was done on the country. Trains were sent out in all directions—into this county, into Webster, into Polk, and load after load of corn, hay, bacon, flour, meat, etc., brought in. Pay was sometimes given in "Missouri scrip," when the property taken belonged to a "good Southern man?" but quite often no pay of any sort was demanded or received by Unionists, who were glad, in some instances, to get off with the loss of their property simply. Numerous as were Gen. Price's horses already, he impressed nearly every available one in the county.
A good many prisoners were made among the Union men of the county, some of whom had returned from following the Federal army to take care of their families and their property. Very soon the jail at Springfield was pretty well filled. Among the prisoners were S. H. Julian and Walter A. Gault, who had been in the Union Home Guards and were afterwards officers in the Federal service. While they did not fare very sumptuously the prisoners were uniformly well, treated, and passed their time in all sorts of ways—one favorite diversion being that of singing Union songs the most of which were composed or improvised for the occasion and sung in retort for the Confederate ballads rendered with great relish by their guards. [398]
PRICE'S MAIN ARMY GOES NORTH.
Somewhere about the 20th of November the main body of Gen. Price's army struck their tents in this county and moved northward, on the Bolivar and other roads, with the double intention of reaching the Missouri river again, either at Boonville or Lexington, or of going on a grand raid into Kansas. Previously a large portion of the army was at Neosho, and from here Gen. Price issued his famous address "to the people of Central and North Missouri," which was published in the Missouri Army Argus, a paper which appeared in Price's army "semi-occasionally," and which is said to have been printed on type taken from the Mirror office, in Springfield. This address called for 50,000 move men, and contained the remarkable declaration: "We have $200,000,000 worth of Northern means in Missouri which cannot be removed. When we are once free, this amount will indemnify every citizen who may have lost a dollar by adhesion to the cause of his country. We shall have our property or its value with interest."
This proclamation was freely circulated in not only Central and North Missouri, but all over the State, and two or three copies are yet extant in this county. The circulation of the proclamation in Greene, it is claimed, made more recruits for the Federal army than for Gen. Price, and after the war was over the terms of the proclamation itself were remembered and brought up against the ex-Confederates by certain over-zealous members of the Radical party.
The movement of Price's army northward was ordered from Neosho and Springfield in three divisions. On the 25th of November the right wing, under Gen. McBride, 6,000 (?) strong, rested on Stockton, Cedar county; the left wing, 5,000 strong, under Gen. Rains, was at Nevada, Vernon county; and the center, 5,000 strong, was near Montevallo, in the southeastern part of Vernon county, commanded by Gen. Price in person. McCulloch, with his army, had previously retired to the Arkansas valley, from whence he was soon afterward summoned to Richmond to explain his conduct in thus abandoning Gen. Price. Early in December there was a concentration of Price's troops at Osceola, where a large number of recruits and many
thousands of dollars' worth of supplies were brought in from the rich "rebel" counties to the north.
Meantime this county was occupied by small detachment of Confederate troops and Springfield was held by a considerable force. [399]
GEN. PRICE AND HIS ARMY BACK AGAIN.
Five days after Gen. Hunter was appointed to the command of the Federal army of the West, he was himself relieved and succeeded by Gen. H. W. Halleck. The latter did but little else than prepare to do—threatening this, that and the other, but performing nothing—"letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,' like the poor cat in the adage," that wanted to catch fish but disliked to wet her feet. The division of Pope, was immediately in front of Price and kept many recruits from going to the latter—capturing at one time, on the Blackwater, in Johnson county, about 1,000 who were mostly front Saline and Carroll counties and were commanded by Col. Frank Robertson.
At last Halleck's disposition of his forces was such and his menaces were of such a character that Gen. Price was again compelled to fall back from the Osage and come into Greene county and Springfield. General Price preceded his men. Gen. Rains covered the withdrawal. Bridges were burned and roads obstructed to detail an apprehended pursuit on the part of Pope and Lane. The long bridge over the Osage at Warsaw, built by Fremont two months before, was among the bridges destroyed. But for some reason no pursuit was made, and Price's army came on unmolested, though suffering severely with cold along the march and in camp at night.
On Christmas day, 1861, Gen. Price and his army entered Springfield, and the general himself took up his quarters in the old house on Boonville street. [400]
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