Soldiers make a clean sweep

September and October of 1864 were chaotic months in Missouri and Kansas because of Major General Sterling Price's campaign in the "Show-Me" (Mo.) and Jayhawker (Kan.) states. This column and those to follow through Nov. 7 will focus on different aspects of this campaign and the four battles that occurred on Oct. 25, 1864. These battles include Trading Post, Mine Creek and Little Osage, Kansas and Shiloh Creek/Charlot's Farm near Deerfield, Mo.

Some of the first indications that a Confederate campaign or invasion of Missouri was going to happen came from "Union" Major General Fredrick Steele who was in command of the "Billy Yanks" who occupied Little Rock, Ark. The following correspondence from General Steele accurately predicts where General Price was going, what his "Army of Missouri" consisted of. Both documents are located on Pages 143, 136 and 137 in Vol. 41, Part III Correspondence of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion.

Little Rock, Ark., Sept. 10, 1864.

Maj. Gen W. S. Rosecrans, Comdg. Dept. of Mo., St. Louis, Mo.

General Price has crossed the Arkansas, at Dardanelle with a large cavalry force, variously estimated from 5,000 to 10,000. He has a large train and a pontoon bridge. It is my opinion that he intended to join Shelby, who has about 5,000 armed men and operate on my communications, while Magruder pushed in front with his infantry. But Price's soldiers all say they are going to Missouri and almost everybody here thinks so. I cannot understand how they can subsist on the march to Missouri. They make "a clean sweep" of everything as they go. [Note: This is precisely how Gen. Price sustained his campaign in Mo. and Kansas.] I have just received re-enforcements from Memphis and shall do all I can to keep Price out of Missouri. If the troops had reached me sooner I could have easily defeated Price's Missouri movements, if such are his plans. I have not cavalry enough to cope with him and it is very doubtful if infantry can catch him. I have sent out three cavalry expeditions against Shelby and he has evaded them all! General Canby wrote me that he could send troops from Morganza. I have recommended that they be sent to Missouri. If Price should go there we might make it very difficult for him to escape.

F. Steele, Major General.

Little Rock, Ark., Sept.10, 1864

Major Gen. E. R. S. Canby:

Price's men declare that they are going to Missouri and his movements look like it might be so. They take all the stock and supplies of every sort as they go. It will be very difficult for me to catch him and Shelby if they are bound for Missouri and I therefore recommend that troops be sent to head them off. They say they are going to St. Louis. (Note: Gen. Steele, must have had a spy or two in Price's Army.) The Pilot Knob route is certainly impracticable. (Note: Gen. Steele was wrong on this point because, because the "Pilot Knob route was the route Price traveled while marching toward St. Louis.)

Four thousand infantry, 12 pieces of artillery and 2,000 re-enforcements have arrived at Devall's Bluff and Brownsville, (Ark.). My cavalry force is to small to meet Price and Shelby united. I shall therefore make up a force that will be strong enough to meet them. Price has eighteen and Shelby six pieces of artillery. If we cannot catch them we can at least make it difficult for them to get away, if they should be pressed in Missouri. They tried to capture the little force at Lewisburg, but Colonel Ryan fell back successfully, bringing in all the public stores. Shelby's men can live on green corn without salt and can run fast enough to keepout of the way of our cavalry, as is shown by the failure of the expeditions I have sent against him. The principle part of Magruder's infantry is reported now at Princeton and Camden, (Ark.).

F. Steele, Major General.

Headquarters Department of the Missouri, St. Louis, Sept. 13, 1864

Major General Curtis, Comdg. Department of Kansas. Fort Leavenworth, Kan.:

We learn directly from General Steele that Price crossed the Arkansas last Thursday at The Dardanelles with about 5,000 men and while it is reported that he is coming into Missouri and we are preparing for him, I think you should be on your guard. He may go up by Pilot Knob, join Cooper and go into Kansas.

W. S. Rosecrans, Major General, Comdg.

Hdqrs. 1st Brigade, District of South Kansas, Fort Scott, Kan., Sept. 14, 1864

Major H. Hopkins, 2nd Kansas Cavalry, Commanding Escort:

Major:

General Price crossed the Arkansas at Dardanelle last Thursday, with 5,000 men, coming north. Look sharp for your (supply) train. This comes by telegraph from General Steele. In haste.

Yours Truly,

Charles W. Blair, Colonel, Commanding.

P.S. I sent 28 men on in wagons after you yesterday. The Wagons took them to Cox's Creek (Note: Cox's Creek is about 16 miles south of Fort Scott.) and left them and I understand they are all coming back . I shall put them in irons in the guardhouse as soon as they come.

C. W. Blair

Now then, the "talking wire" or telegraph was used by Gen. Steele to notify Col. Blair at Fort Scott that General Price and his "Army of Missouri" were advancing towards Missouri and possibly Kansas. However, Col. Blair was also very concerned about the "safety" of large supply train that had recently departed from Fort Scott going south on the "Original Military Road" to Fort Gibson even though Price's forces were in southeastern Missouri. Therefore, he sent a small detachment of 28 men in wagons to re-enforce the escort of the supply train commanded by Major Hopkin's. However, for whatever reason the re-enforcements decided to return to Fort Scott and thereby incurred the wrath of Colonel Blair. Was the 28 man detachment actually arrested and put in irons in the Guardhouse? History does not tell us this, but we do know, of course, that the war went on!