Today in History:

511 Series I Volume XLI-IV Serial 86 - Price's Missouri Expedition Part IV

Page 511 Chapter LIII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.

post to-day. Four hundred guerrillas who had crossed the Missouri at Chamois and had passed west of Vienna, crossed the Springfield road night before last and fell in yesterday with Captain E. L. Webb, Company D, Forty-fourth Regiment Infantry Missouri Volunteers, who had forty-four men and a small number of militia on his march from Licking to this post. Captain Webb repulsed them, killing 3 and wounding several. Lieutenant Pape, Third Cavalry Missouri State Militia, who was sent from this post with thirty cavalrymen and sixty militia to intercept them could not come up with them, as they marched night and day very rapidly, with good horses, whilst the militia soon gave out. I have no cavalry here, only sixty men at Salem, fifty men at Waynesville, a few men and militia here, the Sixty-third Missouri Militia being stationed along the railroad to Franklin. If I had horses I would mount 300 men stationed at this post.

Respectfully,

ALBERT SIGEL,

Colonel, Commanding District.

SAINT LOUIS, November 10, 1864-10.40 a. m.

Colonel PHILIPS,

Commanding District of Central Missouri, Warrensburg:

Hurry up all troops of Sixteenth and Seventeenth Army Corps, and Winslow's cavalry, which are in your district. Send them here as soon as you can.

J. V. DU BOIS,

Colonel and Chief of Staff.

SAINT LOUIS, November 10, 1864-7.25 p. m.

Colonel PHILIPS,

Commanding, Warrensburg:

The general commanding wishes you to send scouts south and get all the news you can and report here. Also find if there is any news from Pleasant Hill or Harrisonville.

FRANK S. BOND,

Major and Aide-de-Camp.


HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY DIVISION,
In the Field, Cassville, November 10, 1864.

Major-General ROSECRANS,

Commanding Department of the Missouri:

The reconnoitering force sent out by me on the 5th instant under Major Melton, Second Arkansas Cavalry, passed through Cane Hill and Cincinnati on the 7th and reached Fort Smith on the 7th [8th] instant. Price moved west from Cane Hill, and General Thayer thinks that he has gone to the river at a point west of Fort Gibson. It is reported that there is no forage or subsistence in the Nation and he must therefore move rapidly. General Thayer crossed the river with a force with the view of attacking Price, but having reason to believe, he says, that Cooper would move to attack Fort Smith with 7,000 men, he was obliged to bring his force back. Price is reported to have moved rapidly after leaving Cane Hill, and his rear is reported by Major Melton to have been twenty-four hours ahead of General Curtis's advance on the morning of the 7th. the enemy being fully within the grasp of the


Page 511 Chapter LIII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.