Page images
PDF
EPUB

back and lead us to battle; we will fight for you!' The General rode on perfectly calm, a pleasant smile on his face, telling the men he was doing his duty, and they must do theirs. We travelled with great rapidity and circumspection; for there was some reason to suppose that parties of the enemy had been thrown to the north of Springfield, in which case we might have been interfered with.

parts, and the whole was intended to express the passions which war excites in the Indian nature-the joy which they feel at the prospect of a fight-their contempt for their enemies—their frenzy at sight of the foe-the conflict-the operations of tomahawking and scalping their opponents-and, finally, the triumph of victory. The performances occupied over two hours. Fall-Leaf presided with an air of becoming gravity, smoking an "Sedalia, November 7th. We are enormous stone pipe with a long reed waiting for the train which is to take us stem. After rendering thanks in proper to St. Louis. Our journey here has been form, Fall-Leaf was told that, by way of made very quickly. Monday we march-return to their civility, and in special ed twenty-five miles. Tuesday we honor to the Delawares, the negroes started at dawn, and made thirty miles, would dance one of their national dances. encamping twenty-five miles south of the Two agile darkies came forward, and Osage. Wednesday we were in the sad- went through with a regular break-down, dle at 6 o'clock, crossed the Osage in the to the evident entertainment of the red afternoon, and halted ten miles north of men. Afterwards an Irishman leaped that river, the day's journey being thir- into the ring and began an Irish hornty-five miles. We pitched our tents pipe. He was the best dancer of all, and upon a high, flat prairie, covered with his complicated steps and astonishing long dry grass. In the evening the Del- tours-de-force completely upset the gravawares signified that, if the General ity of the Indians, and they burst into would consent to it, they would perform loud laughter. It was midnight before a war-dance. Permission was easily ob- the camp was composed to its last night's tained, and, after the Indian braves had sleep. This morning we started an hour finished their toilet, they approached in before day, and marched to this place, formal procession, arrayed in all the glory twenty miles, by noon. Thus ended and terror of war-paint. A huge fire had the expedition of General Fremont to been built. The inhabitants of our little Springfield." camp quickly gathered, officers, soldiers On the evening of the 8th of Novemof the guard, and sharpshooters, negroes ber General Fremont was welcomed to and teamsters. The Indians ranged St. Louis by a deputation of the citizens, themselves on one side of the fire, and who presented him with a series of resothe rest of us completed the circle. The lutions, warmly expressive of their condancing was done by some half-dozen fidence in the integrity and patriotism. young Indians, to the monotonous beat- of his conduct under many "paralyzing ing of two small drums and a guttural circumstances." In reply, he said, "Genaccompaniment which the dancers sang, tlemen, I wish to say to you that your the other Indians joining in the chorus. kind and affectionate-I may even say The performance was divided into two affectionate-reception of me moves my

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

SPEECH OF GENERAL FREMONT.

[ocr errors]

599

Savage, Captain J. R. Howard, Captain L. Haskell, R. W. Raymond, Lieutenant F. Clarke, Lieutenant E. N. Hallowell, Captain A. Sacchi and Lieutenant A. Odoni, the last two, soldiers of Garibaldi's campaigns, who had come from Italy to take part in the war.

neart. It cheers me and strengthens my Eaton, Assistant-Adjutant General, Colconfidence my confidence, already some- onel A. Tracy, Acting Chief Commissary, what wavering—in our republican insti- Colonel J. C. Woods, Director of Transtutions. I felt all day as we passed portation, and the following Aids-dethrough the country-I feel emphatically camp: Colonel Hudson, Colonel Shanks, to-night-that the faithful servant of the Colonel Owen Lovejoy, the well-known people, honestly laboring in the public member of Congress from Illinois, Major cause, will not be allowed to suffer un- F. J. White, the leader of the dashing deserved, and I feel stronger. Since I march on Lexington, Major W. Dorsleft you a few weeks ago, many accusa-heimer, whose narrative of the campaign tions have been rained on my defenceless we have frequently cited, Major W. head-defenceless, because my face was turned to the public enemy. What I see and hear to-night, the address you have just read to me, and the approving multitude below, show me that I was not wrong in leaving my defence with you. In regard to the baser charges made against me I will say nothing now. You The day previously to the surrender do not require it, and to speak of them of his command, General Fremont comwould jar upon the generous feelings with pleted a negotiation with General Price, which you come here to-night. Others through the agency of commissioners, for have been already answered by my the purpose of protecting peaceable citbrave soldiers at Springfield; and others izens of Missouri, and for the exchange of gross incompetency and a weak and of prisoners of war. The following joint aimless administration, to all of these I Proclamation embodied this agreement : will adopt your address, and the shouts "To the Peaceably-disposed Citizens of of the grand multitude assembled below, the State of Missouri, greeting, Whereas, as my answer. And for all this, gentle- A solemn agreement has been entered men, to you and to them, I renew my into by Major-Generals Fremont and thanks with all my heart, which, to- Price, respectively commanding antagonight, is roused to full sensibility by the nistic forces in the State of Missouri, to hearty and unqualified expression of the effect, that in future arrests or forciyour confidence and approbation so ble interference by armed or unarmed valuable and grateful to me in my actual parties of citizens within the limits of position. I shall soon have occasion, for said State for the mere entertainment or I shall make occasion, to answer all these expression of political opinions, shall charges more definitely. Until then, I hereafter cease; that families now broken will rely upon this evening for my de- up for such causes may be reunited, and fence." that the war now progressing shall be exclusively confined to armies in the field; therefore, be it known to all whom it may concern-1. No arrests whatever on account of political opinions, or for

The staff of General Fremont, in accordance with the Act of Congress of the previous session, was presently discharged. It consisted of Colonel J. H.

[ocr errors]

powered to represent Major-General Fremont; and Colonel D. H. Armstrong. Hon. J. Richard Barrett, and Colonel Robert M. Renick, or either of them, are hereby authorized and empowered to represent Major-General Price; and the parties so named are hereby authorized, whenever applied to for that purpose, to negotiate for the exchange of any and all persons who may hereafter be taken prisoners of war and released on parole; such exchanges to be made upon the plan heretofore approved and acted upon, to wit: grade for grade, or two officers of lower grade as an equivalent in rank for one of a higher grade, as shall be thought just and equitable. This done and agreed at Springfield, Missouri, this first day of November, 1861. By order of Major-General Fremont. J. H. EATON, A. A. A. G. Major-General Sterling Price. By HENRY W. WILLIAMS, D. ROBERT BARCLAY, Commissioners."

merely private expression of the same, shall hereafter be made within the limits of the State of Missouri, and all persons who may have been arrested, and are now held to answer upon such charges only, shall be forthwith released. But it is expressly declared that nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to bar or interfere with any of the usual and regular proceedings of the established courts and statutes and orders made and provided for such offences. 2. All peaceably-disposed citizens who may have been driven from their homes because of their political opinions, or who may have left them from fear of force and violence, are hereby advised and permitted to return, upon the faith of our positive assurances that while so returning they shall receive protection from both armies in the field, whenever it can be given. 3. All bodies of armed men, acting without the authority or recognition of the Major-General before named, and not legitimately connected with the armies in the field, are hereby ordered at once to disband. 4. Any violation of either of the foregoing articles shall subject the offender to the penalty of military law, according to the nature of the offence. In testimony whereof, the aforesaid John Charles Fremont, at Springfield, Mo., on the first day of November, A. D. 1861, and Major-General Sterling Price, at"in no manner recognize the agreement,

[ocr errors]

on this

The Proclamation was signed by General Price at Cassville on the 5th of November, but was not suffered, however, to be operative. General Hunter thinking its provisions impolitic under the circumstances of the war, immediately after taking command of the army, addressed, on the 7th, a letter to General Price, stating that he could

day of November, or any of its provisions, whether implied A. D. 1861, have hereunto set their hands, or direct, and that he could neither and hereby mutually pledge their earnest issue, nor allow the joint Proclamation efforts to the enforcement of the above to be issued." In communicating this articles of agreement, according to their letter to Adjutant-General Thomas, Genfull tenor and effect, to the best of their eral Hunter gave the following as the ability. grounds of his repudiation of the con"Secondly. Brigadier-General R. Cur-vention. "It would be, in my judgtis, or the officer in command at Benton ment, impolitic in the highest degree to barracks, is hereby authorized and em- have ratified General Fremont's nego

THE FREMONT AND PRICE CONVENTION.

601

are contending, and a practical liberation, for use in other and more immediately important localities, of all their forces now kept employed in this portion of the State."

tiations, for the following, among many other. obvious reasons: The second stipulation, 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 propagand- General Hunter, after remaining a few ists of treason throughout the length and days at Springfield, in accordance with breadth of the State. The third stipula- an order from the President, retreated tion, confining operations exclusively to in the direction of St. Louis. The army, 'armies in the field,' would practically formed in so short a time by the exerannul the Confiscation Act passed during tions of Fremont, and hurried forward the last session of Congress, and would with extraordinary effort, retraced its furnish perfect immunity to those dis- steps to the Missouri, and awaited the banded soldiers of Price's command who call of the new head of the Department, have now returned to their homes, but General Halleck, again to follow under with the intention, and under a pledge, less advantageous circumstances, at a of rejoining the rebel forces whenever less propitious period of the year, the called upon; and, lastly, because the still advancing, still retreating, ever refourth stipulation would blot out of ex-newed, ever dispersing rebel army of istence the loyal men of the Missouri Price. When the Statement of Fremont, Home Guard, who have not, it is alleged, been recognised by act of Congress, and who, it would be claimed, are therefore 'not legitimately connected with the armies in the field.' There are many more objections quite as powerful and obvious, which might be urged against ratifying this agreement-its address 'to all peaceably-disposed citizens of the State of Missouri,' fairly allowing the inference to be drawn, that citizens of the United States (the loyal and true men of Missouri) are not included in its benefits. In fact, the agreement would seem to me, if ratified, a concession of all the principles for which the rebel leaders

in reply to the charges of General Thomas' Report was published, in the ensuing March, it was received with favor and respect, and while the force of its explanations was freely admitted-for every ingenuous mind rejoices when a load of obloquy is removed from the fair fame of a man like Fremont-it was yet felt that the best vindication of his hurried military manoeuvres, and the policy of his interrupted campaign, was the almost identical repetition of the movement in the recent entry of the Union troops into Springfield, and the pursuit, according to the original programme of the still fugitive Price into Arkansas.

76

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

MILITARY AND NAVAL ENGAGEMENTS AT SANTA ROSAS ISLAND AND THE PASSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI, SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER, 1861.

AFTER the reinforcement, in April, of the little garrison with which Lieutenant Slemmer gallantly seized and held Fort Pickens, that important position, under the energetic command of Colonel Harvey Brown, for many months continued to attract the attention of the public, expectation being at one time excited by the prospect of the recovery of the abandoned ground on the mainland at Pensacola, at another by the danger to the fort itself from attack by the insurgents. A description of a visit to these scenes in April, by Mr. Russell, the correspondent of the London Times, affords us the unusual opportunity of an intelligent view of what was going on in both camps at the same time. Accompanied by several friends, he ran down in a small schooner from Mobile, was admitted, by the courtesy of the United States officers off Pensacola, to pass the blockade, and after a day spent with the Confederates among their defences on the mainland, had the privilege of a leisurely inspection of Fort Pickens and Santa Rosas Island. He found General Braxton Bragg in command of the Confederates. A native of a Southern State, this officer had been educated at West Point, and had served for many years with distinction in the United States army. He is thus introduced to us in the vivid and entertaining narrative of Mr. Russell, who, on landing, has been received with due hospitality by a mess of New Orleans officers established in the pleasant quarters about

the Navy Yard. "An aide-de-camp from General Bragg entered as we were sitting at table, and invited me to attend him to the General's quarters. The road, as I found, was very long and very disagreeable, owing to the depth of the sand, into which the foot sank at every step up to the ankle. Passing the front of an extended row of the clean, airy, pretty villas inside the Navy Yard, we passed the gate on exhibiting our passes, and proceeded by the sea-beach, one side of which is lined with houses, a few yards from the surf. These houses are all occupied by troops, or are used as barrooms or magazines. At intervals a few guns have been placed along the beach, covered by sand-bags, parapets and traverses. As we toiled along in the sand the aide hailed a cart, pressed it into the service, and we continued our journey less painfully. Suddenly a tall, straightbacked man in a blue frock-coat, with a star on the epaulette strap, a smart kepi, and trousers with gold stripe, and large brass spurs, rode past on a high-stepping, powerful charger, followed by an orderly. There is General Bragg,' said his aide. The General turned round, reined up, and I was presented as I sat in my state chariot. The commander of the Confederated States army at Pensacola is about forty-two years of age, of a spare and powerful frame; his face is dark, and marked with deep lines, his mouth large, and squarely set in determined jaws, and his eyes, sagacious, pen

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »