personal memoirs-1-第21章

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Price's　hands。　　General　Curtis　made　a　hobby　of　this　matter　of　salt；

believing　the　enemy　was　sadly　in　need　of　that　article；　and　he

impressed　me　deeply　with　his　conviction　that　our　cause　would　be

seriously　injured　by　a　loss　which　would　inure　so　greatly　and

peculiarly　to　the　enemy's　benefit；　but　we　afterward　discovered；　when

Price　abandoned　his　position；　that　about　all　he　left　behind　was　salt。



When　we　were　within　about　eight　miles　of　Springfield；　General　Curtis

decided　to　put　his　troops　in　line　of　battle　for　the　advance　on　the

town；　and　directed　me　to　stretch　out　my　supply　trains　in　a　long　line

of　battle；　so　that　in　falling　back；　in　case　the　troops　were　repulsed；

he　could　rally　the　men　on　the　wagons。　　I　did　not　like　the　tactics；

but　of　course　obeyed　the　order。　　The　line　moved　on　Springfield；　and

took　the　town　without　resistance；　the　enemy　having　fled　southward；　in

the　direction　of　Pea　Ridge；　the　preceding　day。　　Of　course　our　success

relieved　my　anxiety　about　the　wagons；　but　fancy　has　often　pictured

since；　the　stampede　of　six　mule　teams　that；　had　we　met　with　any

reverse；　would　have　taken　place　over　the　prairies　of　southwest

Missouri。



The　army　set　out　in　pursuit　of　Price；　but　I　was　left　at　Springfield

to　gather　supplies　from　the　surrounding　country；　by　the　same　means

that　had　been　used　at　Lebanon；　and　send　them　forward。　　To　succeed　in

this　useful　and　necessary　duty　required　much　hard　work。　　To　procure

the　grain　and　to　run　the　mills　in　the　country；　replacing　the

machinery　where　parts　had　been　carried　away；　or　changing　the

principle　and　running　the　mills　on　some　different　plan　when

necessary；　and　finally　forward　the　product　to　the　army；　made　a　task

that　taxed　the　energy　of　all　engaged　in　it。　　Yet；　having　at　command　a

very　skillful　corps　of　millwrights；　machinists；　and　millers；　detailed

principally　from　the　Fourth　Iowa　and　Thirty…sixth　Illinois　volunteer

regiments；　we　soon　got　matters　in　shape；　and　were　able　to　send　such

large　quantities　of　flour　and　meal　to　the　front；　that　only　the　bacon

and　small　parts　of　the　ration　had　to　be　brought　forward　from　our

depot　at　Rolla。　　When　things　were　well　systematized；　I　went　forward

myself　to　expedite　the　delivery　of　supplies；　and　joined　the　army　at

Cross　Hollows；　just　south　of　Pea　Ridge。



Finding　everything　working　well　at　Cross　Hollows；　I　returned　to

Springfield　in　a　few　days　to　continue　the　labor　of　collecting

supplies。　　On　my　way　back　I　put　the　mills　at　Cassville　in　good　order

to　grind　the　grain　in　that　vicinity；　and　perfected　there　a　plan　for

the　general　supply　from　the　neighboring　district　of　both　the　men　and

animals　of　the　army；　so　that　there　should；　be　no　chance　of　a　failure

of　the　campaign　from　bad　roads　or　disaster　to　my　trains。　　Springfield

thus　became　the　centre　of　the　entire　supply　section。



Just　after　my　return　to　Springfield　the　battle　of　Pea　Ridge　was

fought。　　The　success　of　the　Union　troops　in　this　battle　was

considerable；　and　while　not　of　sufficient　magnitude　to　affect　the

general　cause　materially；　it　was　decisive　as　to　that　particular

campaign；　and　resulted　in　driving　all　organized　Confederate　forces

out　of　the　State　of　Missouri。　　After　Pea　Ridge　was　won；　certain

efforts　were　made　to　deprive　Curtis　of　the　credit　due　him　for　the

victory；　but；　no　matter　what　merit　belonged　to　individual　commanders；

I　was　always　convinced　that　Curtis　was　deserving　of　the　highest

commendation；　not　only　for　the　skill　displayed　on　the　field；　but　for

a　zeal　and　daring　in　campaign　which　was　not　often　exhibited　at　that

early　period　of　the　war。　　Especially　should　this　credit　be　awarded

him；　when　we　consider　the　difficulties　under　which　he　labored；　how　he

was　hampered　in　having　to　depend　on　a　sparsely　settled　country　for

the　subsistence　of　his　troops。　　In　the　reports　of　the　battle　that

came　to　Springfield；　much　glory　was　claimed　for　some　other　general

officers；　but　as　I　had　control　of　the　telegraph　line　from　Springfield

east；　I　detained　all　despatches　until　General　Curtis　had　sent　in　his

official　report。　　He　thus　had　the　opportunity　of　communicating　with

his　superior　in　advance　of　some　of　his　vain　subordinates；　who　would

have　laid　claim　to　the　credit　of　the　battle　had　I　not　thwarted　them

by　this　summary　means。



Not　long　afterward　came　the　culmination　of　a　little　difference　that

had　arisen　between　General　Curtis　and　me；　brought　about；　I　have　since

sometimes　thought；　by　an　assistant　quartermaster　from　Iowa；　whom　I

had　on　duty　with　me　at　Springfield。　　He　coveted　my　place；　and　finally

succeeded　in　getting　it。　　He　had　been　an　unsuccessful　banker　in　Iowa；

and　early　in　the　war　obtained　an　appointment　as　assistant

quartermaster　of　volunteers　with　the　rank　of　captain。　　As　chief

quartermaster　of　the　army　in　Missouri；　there　would　be　opportunities

for　the　recuperation　of　his　fortunes　which　would　not　offer　to　one　in

a　subordinate　place；　so　to　gain　this　position　he　doubtless　intrigued

for　it　while　under　my　eye；　and　Curtis　was　induced　to　give　it　to　him

as　soon　as　I　was　relieved。　　His　career　as　my　successor；　as　well　as　in

other　capacities　in　which　he　was　permitted　to　act　during　the　war；　was

to　say　the　least　not　savory。　　The　war　over　he　turned　up　in　Chicago　as

president　of　a　bank；　which　he　wrecked；　and　he　finally　landed　in　the

penitentiary　for　stealing　a　large　sum　of　money　from　the　United　States

Treasury　at　Washington　while　employed　there　as　a　clerk。　　The　chances

that　this　man's　rascality　would　be　discovered　were　much　less　when

chief　of　the　departments　of　transportation　and　supply　of　an　army　than

they　afterward　proved　to　be　in　the　Treasury。　　I　had　in　my　possession

at　all　times　large　sums　of　money　for　the　needs　of　the　army；　and　among

other　purposes　for　which　these　funds　were　to　be　disbursed　was　the

purchase　of　horses　and　mules。　　Certain　officers　and　men　more　devoted

to　gain　than　to　the　performance　of　duty　（a　few　such　are　always　to　be

found　in　armies）　quickly　learned　this；　and　determined　to　profit　by

it。　　Consequently　they　began　a　regular　system　of　stealing　horses　from

the　people　of　the　country　and　proffering　them　to　me　for　purchase。　　It

took　but　a　little　time　to　discover　this　roguery；　and　when　I　became

satisfied　of　their　knavery　I　brought　it　to　a　sudden　close　by　seizing

the　horses　as　captured　property；　branding　them　U。　S。；　and　refusing　to

pay　for　them。　　General　Curtis；　misled　by　the　misrepresentations　that

had　been　made；　and　without　fully　knowing　the　circumstances；　or

realizing　to　what　a　base　and　demoralizing　state　of　things　this　course

was　inevitably　tending；　practically　ordered　me　to　make　the　Payments；

and　I　refused。　　The　immediate　result　of　this　disobedience　was　a

court…martial　to　try　me；　and　knowing　that　my　usefulness　in　that　army

was　gone；　no　matter　what　the　outcome　of　the　trial　might　be；　I　asked

General　Halleck　to　relieve　me　from　duty　with　General　Curtis　and　order

me　to　St。　Louis。　　This　was　promptly　done；　and　as　my　connection　with

the　Army　of　Southwest　Missouri　was　thus　severed　before　the　court

could　be　convened；　my　case　never　came　to　trial。　　The　man　referred　to

as　being　the　cause　of　this　condition　of　affairs　was　appointed　by

General　Curtis　to　succeed　me。　　I　turned　over　to　the　former　all　the

funds　and　property　for　which　I　was　responsible；　also　the　branded

horses　and　mules　stolen　from　the　people　of　the　country；　requiring

receipts　for　everything。　　I　heard　afterward　that　some　of　the　blooded

stock　of　southwest　Missouri　made　its　way　to　Iowa　in　an　unaccountable

manner；　but　whether　the　administration　of　my　successor　was

responsible　for　it　or　not　I　am　unable　to　say。



On　my　arrival　at　St。　Louis　I　felt　somewhat　forlorn　and　disheartened

at　the　turn　affairs　had　taken。　　I　did　not　know　where　I　should　be

assigned；　nor　what　I　should　be　required　to　do；　but　these

uncertainties　were　dispelled　in　a　few　days　by　General　Halleck；　who；

being　much　pressed　by　the　Governors　of　some　of　the　Western　States　to

disburse　money　in　their　sections；　sent　me　out　into　the　Northwest　with

a　s