"Bead, you are incorrigible!" I exclaimed, laughing, in spite of myself, at his mock heroics. "What did the Captain say?" "He! Why, it was he who suggested the idea. Didn't you see him whisper to me, just before I detached you to escort the rebels to the boat? Well, he said 'I think, Bead, you ought to search the premises for contraband of war; and our winecellar is very low, you know, just now.' And, of course, I took the hint."

"Is Captain Crow an officer in the regular line, or a guerrilla chief?"

"O! ne plus ultra guerrilla!. Though, no doubt, he has a commission of some sort, which will save him from the 'Tristan L'hermite' of our division. And, to tell the truth, I shall really rejoice, for his bride's sake, if he has a safeguard of the kind. For, in spite of her peculiar style of complimenting my friends and myself, she was a real beauty. You sympathize with my sentiments, I fancy, Sir Lover, eh?"

*

It was nearly three o'clock when we landed within our own lines, and almost four, before I threw myself on my mattress, where slumber profound speedily descended upon me.

Having to leave for home, that same morning, however, I was afoot before seven, and while making a hasty toilet, Corporal Jukes was admitted, by special request, to an audience. He brought a small pile of sandwiches on a tin plate, and a bottle of Clicquot; also a neat pasteboard box, carefully tied.

"Lieutenant Bead's compliments, sir," said he, saluting with the bottle, "and ordered me to say that sandwich and champagne is excellent to travel on; also begs you will accept this little souvenir-I'm repeating the Lieutenant's own words, sir of last night, and hand it to your fair nam-namer—I didn't exactly catch that foreign word, sir; but it means the lady you

"I understand, Corporal: inamorata was the word, probably. Thank you! Give my compliments, and thanks also, to Lieutenant Bead. Hand me the box."

"I forgot to mention, sir," said Jukes, "that the Lieutenant told me to ask you, as a special favor, not to open the box tillthat is to present it just as it is to the lady."

"Ha! Perhaps it's an infernal machine! No matter. I'll humor him, and you may tell him, that, in case of the worst, I forgive him with my latest breath."

The Corporal grinned, and departed.

√.

Upon my honor, it was really too bad! Bead was certainly a flinty-hearted and perfidious wretch, as the Captain asserted

so emphatically. "Or words to that effect." For what do you think was the souvenir in the mysterious box?

Sympathizing, and about-to-become indignant reader; it was nothing more nor less than the Bridal- Wreath of Mrs. Captain C. D. G.

Crow!

THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI AGAINST PRICE.

THE invasion of Missouri by the rebel General Price, with the troops of his command, had been long predicted by Southern sympathizers of this State, and long expected by the various murderous bands of guerrillas and bushwhackers who infested its border districts. These bands of marauders grew more formidable and daring as the season advanced, their numbers being augmented by those disloyal citizens who were ready to hail Price as their deliverer, and who confidently looked forward to his permanent occupation of the State as soon as the crops should be harvested and the leaves should fall. The atrocities committed by these predatory bands during the season of expectancy, have never been equalled, even in the records of barbarous nations, and the blackest page in the history of this rebellion will set forth the massacres and outrages committed by these bush-ranging fiends. Price, the deliverer of Missouri, as he delighted to call himself, and to be called, crossed the State line from Arkansas via Pocahontas, and Poplar Bluff, about the 15th of September. His force, according to our best information, consisted of about fifteen thousand men, nearly all mounted, and eighteen pieces of artillery. This force was divided into three divisions, commanded respectively by MajorGenerals Shelby, Marmaduke, and Fagan. From Poplar Bluff, Price advanced, via Bloomfield, to Pilot Knob, driving before him the various outpost garrisons, and threatening Cape Girardeau. His advance was slow, from the fact that he stopped to plunder the towns, and conscript the citizens along his line of march. He seemed especially anxious to procure horses to mount such of his command as were on foot, and for this purpose had foraging parties scouting the country in every direction; no animal capable of bearing a saddle escaped their rapacity.

There were troops enough and to spare within the State to have whipped this boastful invader on its southern border, but had they been concentrated there, the fairest portions of the department would have been left to the tender mercies of such outlaws as Bill Anderson, Todd, Thrailkill, and other notorious guerrillas. Price, therefore, advanced without opposition to his attack on Pilot Knob, to which point the gallant General Ewing had been previously sent. This point was partially for

tified, and garrisoned by a trifle less than one thousand men. On the morning of the 26th, the attack on the town commenced, and for several hours the battle raged fiercely outside the works. The fighting continued for two days, Ewing finally retiring to the fortifications, and defending them most pertinaciously, notwithstanding the rebels assaulted him several times in force. Finding that the works could not be carried by assault, the rebels planted their artillery upon a commanding hill, and would have soon compelled the stubborn garrison to surrender had not night fallen upon them. Seeing that his position was untenable, Ewing resolved to evacuate the place. Accordingly, about three o'clock A. M. of the 28th, the small band of Federals marched out of the fortifications, taking the road towards Harrison, on the southwest branch of the Pacific Railroad. Although the enemy had troops on all sides of the town, Ewing's retreat was not discovered by them until the explosion of a magazine in the fort, which occurred some time after his departure, and when he was well on his way to Harrison. Pursuit was immediately commenced, and for two or three days the Federals were sorely pressed and compelled to fight for every mile they made in their retreat. A small force of cavalry, sent out from Rolla, met Ewing's forces at Harrison, and with them Ewing continued to retreat to Rolla, where he arrived safely on the 1st of October with upwards of eight hundred of his men.

During the attack on Pilot Knob, and the subsequent five days, the rebel loss amounted to about five hundred, exceeding ours by more than three hundred men, which fact may be attributed to the over-confidence of the rebels, who thought they had but to threaten the place to secure it.

From Pilot Knob one division of the enemy marched to Franklin, on the Pacific Railroad, where they burned the depot, and were engaged in plundering the town when a small brigade of General A. J. Smith's Infantry marched in on the double quick, and speedily put the pillagers to rout.

The enemy was unmolested for several days following this, during which time he marched toward the Missouri River, reaching that stream at a point a little below Hermann, with his left extending toward Jefferson City, the capital of the State, which place he seemed determined to occupy. Our commanders and troops were not idle meantime, although the unusually low stage of water in the Missouri River rendered the transportation of troops a slow and tedious task. This fact alone may be said to have protracted the Missouri campaign at least two weeks, inasmuch as the rebels had destroyed the railroad so effectually that troops and supplies had to be transported by water, and no headway could be made with any boat drawing over twenty-six inches of water. However, the cavalry from the various districts

were concentrated at Jefferson City, and fortifications were erected. On the 6th the city may be said to have been besieged, the enemy having moved up the Pacific Railroad, destroying all the bridges, depots, and supplies along the route, and swarming on the hills overlooking the town. Price, seeing the preparations made to receive him, evidently feared to attack, and so quietly marched past the place, unmolested, on his way to the north and west.

At this juncture Major-General Pleasonton was sent from St. Louis to take command of the troops in the field, and arrived at Jefferson City in time to witness the rear of Price's column moving westward. Pleasonton immediately organized the cavalry-about five thousand-into a temporary division, selecting Brigadier-General J. B. Sanborn as its commander, and started it in pursuit. Sanborn harassed Price's rear for several days, avoiding a general engagement, but acting, according to his instructions, as a corps of observation. Every nerve was being strained by the commanding officers to concentrate the forces at their disposal, but it seemed almost impossible to overcome the difficulties of transportation. Price finally entered Booneville, and was attacked by Sanborn, who caused great consternation in the rebel ranks, but was compelled, from inferiority of numbers, to fall back. At this point the position was such that Price could have been annihilated had he been attacked by an adequate force, and even the little fight made by Sanborn came very near demoralizing his entire army. From here Price moved to the vicinity of Marshall, where he manœuvred and pillaged for several days with but little interruption.

On the 17th, the cavalry was reorganized into four brigades, commanded by Brigadier-Generals Brown, McNeil, Sanborn, and Colonel Winslow, the latter having just reported with his command from Memphis, Tennessee, the whole forming a provisional division, commanded by Major-General Pleasonton. General Pleasonton joined his command, numbering now about six thousand men, and eight rifled guns, at once, and immediately started after Price who had by this time moved to Lexington.

Major-General Blunt, with a force of two thousand Kansas cavalry and nine guns, having entered Missouri by the southern line of Jackson County, also moved toward Lexington, meeting Price's advance in the town. A brisk fight ensued, resulting in Blunt's being driven back to Westport, beyond the Big Blue. Price occupied Lexington one day, and then moved in the direction taken by Blunt, Pleasonton's advance reaching Lexington in time to have a slight skirmish with the rebel rearguard. A vigorous pursuit was instituted by Pleasonton, and the enemy were forced to make a stand at Independence. After a severe contest, lasting two or three hours, the enemy were

driven through the town in confusion. The 13th Missouri here made a gallant charge, and captured two brass six-pounder rifled guns, and a number of prisoners. Without halting, Pleasonton's command pushed on, driving the enemy from every position, by a series of vigorous charges, until he arrived at Byron's Ford on the Big Blue River, where the natural advantages of the position seemed to bid defiance to any ordinary attack. From Independence to this position the fighting done by Colonel Winslow's Brigade was superb, most of it being done through the woods, and after dark, the enemy stubbornly contesting every inch of the way. Winslow never ceased skirmishing until nearly midnight, by which time the enemy were all across the river. At daylight on Sunday morning, the 23d, slight skirmishing was resumed, and at nine o'clock, Pleasonton sent the First Brigade to Winslow's assistance. The ball speedily opened in earnest, artillery being used to advantage on both sides. The rebs had made a good selection of position, and seemed determined "to fight it out on that line," but Colonel Philips-now commanding the First Brigade-and Winslow threw their whole force in as dismounted skirmishers, and after three hours' hard fighting, had crossed the stream and were rapidly pushing the enemy through the woods to the prairie beyond. That the fight at this point was a severe one, was clearly shown by the great numbers of killed and wounded, particularly of the enemy, who fell into our hands. Winslow received a bullet in the calf of his leg, and ten of Philips's officers were placed hors de combat.

Entering upon the immense prairie, beyond the Big Blue, Marmaduke and Fagan's Divisions were found in line of battle, to oppose our further progress, while, six miles to our right, Shelby could be seen contending with Blunt for the possession . of Westport, which town was plainly visible On the previous day, McNeil, with his brigade, had been sent from Independence to Little Santa Fé, to intercept the enemy's wagon train, which was moving south on the military road, towards Fort Scott. Finding himself thus struck in the flank, Price abandoned the attack on Westport, and Shelby fell back, passing south, on the military road, in rear of the lines, confronting Pleasonton. Blunt followed Shelby, and soon united with Pleasonton. The eight thousand cavalry thus united, rushed at the charge with vociferous yells, across the broad open prairies, driving before them a greater number of astonished rebs, forming, probably, one of the most exciting scenes of this war. The chase continued at this gait for about four miles, the enemy losing many small arms, horses, and men. Arriving at Little Santa Fé, at dark, our forces were compelled to halt for rest and forage, the enemy continuing the retreat twelve miles further.

General Curtis, commanding the Department of Kansas,