WE BREAK UP CAMP AT BROOKFIELD AND PROCEED TOWARD
SHELBINA--JUNCTION WITH SMITH AND MOORE--GENERAL POPE
ASSUMES COMMAND--HURLBUT AND WILLIAMS PROCEED TO ST.
LOUIS IN ARREST--POPE LEADS A NIGHT MARCH AGAINST GREEN
AT FLORIDA--FEELINGS OF THE TROOPS--CIRCUMSTANCES OF
THAT AFFAIR--REPORT OF GENERAL FREMONT CONCERNING
IT--WE RETURN TO THE RAILROAD AND PROCEED TO
MACON--ARRIVAL OF GENERALS POPE AND STURGIS AT THAT
POINT--PROSPECTS OF ACTIVE MOVEMENTS.
The men who had been with Scott at Kirksville were not allowed as
much time to rest as they had expected. On the morning of September
6th, we broke up camp at Brookfield, got aboard a train of cars with
our baggage and effects, and moving eastward, arrived at Hudson a
little before sunset. Here we found Colonel Williams and his Shelbina
command, the detachment of the Sixteenth which General Hurlbut had
moved to reinforce him, and the Second Kansas, who had just got
aboard a train of cars, and were about to start for their previous
destination, their homes. The latter told prodigious stories of the
battle of Springfield, and we looked upon them with the respect
usually given to veterans.
The other troops at Hudson were not yet ready to move; but Colonel
Scott pushed on and halted for the night at Clarence. It was quite
dark when we reached that place, and we experienced not a little
difficulty in getting our effects separated properly, and putting
ourselves in a situation to pass the night. The greatest trouble was,
that we had scarcely anything to eat. But the town had plenty of
henroosts, and our ready hands supplied the deficiency. There were
some apprehensions, but no positive tidings of the enemy. Early in
the morning, a construction train went forward with a guard of thirty
men in command of a sergeant.
After Colonel Williams retreated from Shelbina, the enemy had
ventilated his rage upon the innocent railroad by tearing up the
track, burning culverts, and pulling down the wires for several miles
either way from that place. The principal damage done was in the
burning of the Salt river bridge, between Shelbina and Hunnewell.
The day was spent in repairing these damages, and at night, the
forces which had spent the previous night at Clarence and Macon under
Hurlbut, Williams and Scott, formed junction with those of Smith and
Moore, approaching from the opposite direction. Our regiment, again
united, and under Colonel Williams, moved forward early in the night
to Hunnewell.
Meanwhile we learned to our great joy that General Pope had arrived
from the North Missouri Railway and assumed command of the forces
on this road; and it was rumored that he would proceed immediately
against Green, who was encamped in the vicinity of Florida, a day's
march to the southwest. The rumor was correct; and he would have
moved that night, if Colonel Smith had not been too long in getting
back from Shelbina.
As might have been expected, the operations of the Federal forces in
northeast Missouri, which the last two chapters have attempted to
describe, discouraged the Union people and created a general feeling
of disappointment against General Hurlbut, both among citizens and
soldiers. Both the General and Colonel Williams were the following
morning relieved from their commands, and started for St. Louis under
arrest.
Daylight found the whole force assembled at Hunnewell under Pope. We
waited anxiously to see what he would do. He still hoped to surprise
Green. But he knew that the spies of the latter might watch him, and
he accordingly adopted a ruse to deceive them. He laid out his camp
in regular order, established a brigade camp guard, with Major Stone
as officer of the day, and, as far as outward appearances could show,
made preparations to remain at Hunnewell for some time. The ruse
deceived his own soldiers, who shook their heads and did not like the
appearance of things at all. It doubtless likewise deceived the enemy.
All at once, a little before sunset, up came an order to put four
days' rations on the wagons and get ready to march immediately. At
dusk the column took up the march in a splendid manner. Every step
was elastic, and every heart was full of joy and hope. We were about
to do now what we had longed to do at Kirksville. Nothing but some
egregious blunder on our part, or extreme watchfulness on the part of
the enemy, would hinder success.
But General Pope, notwithstanding his skill and energy, had made
one mistake. He had taken too long a train. Two days' rations would
have sufficed instead of four. Should he succeed in surprising the
enemy, the fight would not last long. Should the enemy retreat either
before or after a fight, it would be useless to pursue, unless it
were intended to undertake a general pursuit. The wagons, continually
halting, embarrassed and impeded the march. Had the train been half
as long, we could have moved with much more rapidity and ease.
After keeping the main road two or three hours, we followed by-roads
or moved over fields and rough prairies, which rendered the marching
tiresome in the extreme. About three o'clock in the morning we
crossed Salt river and found ourselves in the streets of Florida.
The different battalions twisted themselves together in all possible
confusion, and the men, heedless of everything, threw themselves down
in all manner of shapes to rest.
But where was Green? He was camped on a wooded bottom three miles
below, and the road leading to his camp was on the opposite (east)
side of the river. Only three miles off and we were halting! Was it
to take rest before falling upon him? or had General Pope missed the
way? Probably the latter; for we soon countermarched, crossed the
bridge and moved rapidly down the river. Was the enemy there? The
citizens said, yes. An old negro, who gazed at us with astonishment,
said they were there last night. Soon we heard the crack of muskets.
They were certainly there; for Lieut. Call was driving in their
pickets. It was our hour of glory. What had we to fear? We were
three regiments and four pieces of cannon besides the Home Guards,
and following a brave and skillful leader. They were a half organized
horde, armed with citizen's rifles and shot guns. Soon we would have
victory for the stigmas and sufferings of the past. Seldom have men
felt more joy.
Suddenly we were in the enemy's camp; but the enemy was not there.
Our feelings experienced a sudden shock of disappointment. Victory,
glory,--a moment ago almost within our possession, now lost. Each
man felt as though he had suddenly lost a fortune. But this is a
tame comparison; for what is money compared with the reward of the
soldier who participates in a successful battle? The enemy was gone;
he had taken everything. Nothing was left but a United States baggage
wagon, about ten bushels of unshelled corn and a broken shot gun. A
few coals smoldered beneath the ashes of his camp-fires. Every thing
indicated that his scouts had informed him of the movements against
him, and that he had evacuated early in the night.
Those who participated in this affair will not recall without a smile
the report of General Fremont to Adjutant General Townsend concerning
it. It represented Pope as having defeated Green, capturing his
baggage, besides recapturing that lost by our forces at Shelbourne
(Shelbina); that his infantry was exhausted but his cavalry pursued.
It is needless to say, that these statements were entirely without
foundation. The only cavalry the General had was a few Home Guards,
armed with muskets and mounted on farm horses. It is true that they
pursued; but they did not overtake the enemy. It is also true that
the infantry pursued; that is, a great many small straggling parties
went out in the direction of the enemy, levied contributions of
warm meals upon the inhabitants, and captured animals of various
sizes, from chickens in pin feathers up to horses. General Pope
observed this conduct on the part of his men with deep regret. But he
doubtless felt a little indulgent toward us, as every good commander
will feel toward his men when they have done something praiseworthy.
His men needed rest. He accordingly posted no infantry guard--only
kept his mounted men on the line of the enemy's retreat. This will
account for an incident which occurred during the afternoon, and
of which my comrades have a vivid recollection. A party of rebels,
probably a detachment of Green's main force, rode leisurely into
our camp. Colonel Moore was the first to discover them, and to
recognize them as enemies. He sprang to the nearest stack of guns,
seized a musket, and fired at the advanced man, giving him a mortal
wound in the breast. A number of soldiers imitated his example, and
another man was wounded; but the remainder fled in amazement and
consternation. Toward night the column marched back to Florida and
camped. Here, also, a number of depredations were committed on the
property of rebel citizens. Consequently for the return march the
following day, General Pope issued an order requiring the commandants
of regiments to ride in the rear of their respective commands,
and allow no soldier to leave the ranks except in case of absolute
necessity; and that whoever should break ranks to plunder should be
shot. This order did not sound at all pleasant to some of us, but it
was nevertheless obeyed. The march was begun early. The day was cool,
and three o'clock found us at Hunnewell. We found that the camp of
our regiment had been removed to the Salt river bridge by the guards
and men left with it, for the better protection of that work. We
joined them, tired and foot-sore enough.
After a fruitless chase that had promised such splendid results, we
could not but have a feeling of disappointment. The enemy had not
out-generaled us; he had out-marched us. We needed cavalry. Of what
avail was it for a man to take his household goods on his back and
endeavor to catch a horse? We must have dragoons to ride down and
saber to pieces the mounted forces. This was the universal opinion
among us. Our campaign against Green had taught us to value cavalry.
At this time it seemed that the whole country was agreeing with us.
"The man on the horse" was the rage, both in the army and out of it.
The War Department was increasing the cavalry force to 75,000. We
had rumors, too, that General Pope proposed to mount two or three
regiments, including ours, and with them clear north Missouri of
all irregular forces. The mere mention of it threw some of us into
ecstacies.
But this expectation was suddenly disappointed, when the following
morning our regiment got aboard a train of cars with all its baggage,
moved westward and camped at Macon City. We did not lay out a regular
camp here. No one expected that we would remain long. It seemed as
though we were only waiting for further orders.
The following day, September 12th, General Sturgis arrived from St.
Louis, by way of the North Missouri Railroad, with four companies
of the Thirty-ninth Ohio. General Pope also arrived from Hunnewell
with the Sixteenth Illinois. These two brigadiers established their
headquarters in the same hotel. It now looked like work. Fremont had
sent two of his best generals to command the forces here. We had seen
enough of Pope to have confidence in him. We knew that Sturgis had
won laurels at Springfield. We had read unbounded praises of him in
the St. Louis papers. His presence gave us great confidence in future
movements.