Today in History:

723 Series I Volume XLI-I Serial 83 - Price's Missouri Expedition Part I

Page 723 Chapter LIII. PRICE'S MISSOURI EXPEDITION.

Question. Was not much the larger half of the troops unarmed from the time he reached Central Missouri?

Answer. I think so. I don't think that the armed men at any time during the campaign exceeded 8,000 or 9,000 in number.

Cross-examination by Major-General Price concluded.

Re-examined by the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. You say that these permits to scout, given by company, regimental, or brigade commanders were in violation of General Price's orders. State what measures, if any, were adopted by General Price to prevent their continuance, and whether or not any officer or officers were punished for having given such permission.

Answer. I know of no measures except reiterated orders from General Price and his staff officers forbidding such permissions. I don't know that any officers were punished for giving such permission.

The re-examination by the judge-advocate was here concluded.

By a MEMBER:

Question. What prevented an earlier movement of General Price from Camden?

Answer. Want of ordnance stores, which were to have been received from Shreveport.

Question. When did they arrive?

Answer. I can't give the precise date, but it was on the 27th or 28th of August. A considerable portion crossed the Ouachita River on Sunday, which I think was the 28th.

Question. What was the strength of Dobbin's brigade when at Pilot Knob? How did it happen that Colonel Dobbin did not intercept the enemy on his retreat from Fort Davidson?

Answer. I do not recollect, nor can I tell how it happened that the retreat was not intercepted.

Question. Were you in a position on the night of the 27th and 28th of September, 1864, to know whether sentinels and pickets were posted so as to detect the earliest movements of the enemy, aggressive or retreat?

Answer. I was not.

Question. Do you know that troops were stationed to watch the enemy in the fort and give notice of his movements at the earliest moment?

Answer. Yes; troops were stationed on the road leading along the Iron Mountain Railroad toward Saint Louis, and also upon the road by which the enemy eventually retreated toward Caledonia, and orders were sent to Brigadier-General Shelby to move down upon the Caledonia road, which, had he received, would have intercepted the retreat of the enemy.

Question. What was the nearest point to the front that any of these troops were posted on the route by which the enemy retreated?

Answer. I don't know.

Question. Were you at the battle of Marais des Cygnes? Was the order of battle a judicious one? To what cause do you attribute the disasters of the day? Who was the immediate commander at Marais des Cygnes?

Answer. I was conducting the train, was with it when it was parked, about nine miles from where the fight began.


Page 723 Chapter LIII. PRICE'S MISSOURI EXPEDITION.