Audubon-Scott-Clinton County IA Archives News.....Good News From Arkansas. December 10, 1862 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Earl Hoffman hoffmans@ix.netcom.com January 13, 2009, 10:47 pm New York Times December 10, 1862 FROM THE ARMY OF THE FRONTIER. ––––––––– How the Army is Divided and Officered–Its Location–Doings in the First Division Under Gen. Blunt, & c. ––––––––– From Our Own Correspondent. Springfield, Mo., Tuesday, Dec. 2. While the Eastern Army is preparing for the great struggle which will, perhaps, at last decide the destiny of our country, it is probable that the friends and relatives of Eastern soldiers have quite forgotten the Army of the Frontier. When we read the utter misstatements of our situation and move- ments which sometimes appear in the papers of New- York and Philadelphia, we cannot but feel that we are comparatively uncared for. It would be pleasant to know that we are remembered: that the brave men who are wearing out their energies, and their lives in guarding the outposts of Freedom, are sometimes the object of good wishes and fervent prayers. But however obscure and inglorious the work of chasten- ing guerrillas may be, we feel that we are serving our country, and if we may but play some part in the great drama upon which the eyes of the whole world are fixed, we are content that that part would be an humble one. Glory may be the motive which impels professional soldiers to noble deed. We are actuated by a nobler impulse, the love of our native land. Since the temporary illness and permanent depart- ure of Gen. Schofield, the Army of the Frontier has been entirely reorganized. It would be improper to state the number of our forces, but I cannot see any impropriety in mentioning that at present our army consists of three divisions. The first Division is commanded by Gen. Blunt, who is a bold, dashing soldier, rough in his exterior, unpretending in his manners, but full of courage and fire. The Second Division is under the command of Gen. Herron, one of the youngest officers, if not the youngest, in the United States service. He is a man of less experi- ence than Blunt or Totten, but in his native ability, and especially in his moral integrity, every one has full confidence. The Third Division is now without a separate commander. Gen. Totten, the distin- guished artillerist, whose battery was so effectively worked at the battle of Wilson's Creek, was formerly assigned to the command of this Division, but in consequence of some personal difficulty between him- self and Gen. Herron, he has gone to St. Louis, upon the pretext that his presence is necessary as a wit- ness in the interminable trial of McKinstry. Upon leaving his men he issued a farewell address to them, and the general impression is, that he will never re- turn to Southwest Missouri. In Gen. Blunt's Division there are three brigades, The First Brigade is led by Gen. Salomon, the Se- cond by Col. Weir, and the Third by Col. McCloud. In the Second Division there are two brigades. Col. Finoeney(?) is commander of the First, and Col. Orme of the Second. There are two brigades, also, in the Third Division. The first is under Col. Huston, the second under Col. Dye. Many of these officers served under Lyon in the first Southwestern campaign, and under Fremont in the second. Each brigade includes infantry, artillery and cavalry. Besides the regiments included in this organization, a distinct force of Missouri militia, which may be re- garded, if you choose, as a reserve, is commanded by Gen. Brown. Its special duty seems to be to act within the limits of the State, as a sort of military police. I am not certain whether it is regarded as part of the Army of the Frontier or not. This reserve is composed entirely of militia, of which there are a large number in Southwest Missouri. The militia are scattered all over the country. In every neigh- borhood there is a blockhouse and a breastwork, and a little garrison. The three organized divisions in- clude no militia. Every Northwestern State, except Michigan and Minnesota, is represented in our army, and we have also several three years' regiments from Missouri and Arkansas. This army, whose numbers, as you perceive, are by no means despicable, is still south of Springfield. There is no prospect that it will return to St. Louis, or be ordered elsewhere, during the present Winter. The rebels in Arkansas, whom Schofield drove to the Boston Mountain a few weeks ago, still fondly cher- ish the hope of penetrating into Southern Missouri before Spring, and if this army were withdrawn their hopes would easily be realized. Springfield is forti- fied, it is true, but the system of forts is not yet com- pleted, and even a large garrison could not defend the town from an army of any size. If the town could even be held, the nature of the country is such that an army could pass Springfield on either side, without molestation from any petty garrison in the Springfield forts. The Army of the Frontier, let me repeat, is south of Springfield. The Second Division is in camp, about twelve miles from the town, upon the Fayetteville Road, near the old Wilson Creek battle-ground. The Third Division is at McColloch's store, upon the same road, twelve miles further down. The First Division, under Gen. Blunt, is at Cane Hill, in Arkansas. Cane Hill is upon the western boarder of the State, a few miles west of Fayetteville, and forty miles north of Van Buren and Fort Smith. At this point, on Friday last, Gen. Blunt had a sharp battle with Gen. Marmaduke, of the Confed- erate army. It appears that Hindman and Marmaduke were about to join their forces, for another effort to penetrate into Missouri. Marmaduke was in the ad- vance, and still separated from Hindman, when Blunt fell upon him at 10 o'clock in the morning, and after about three hour's fighting, the enemy began to give ground, though the fighting continued until dark. The loss in killed and wounded was not very heavy upon either side. We lost two officers, one of whom was a Lieutenant-Colonel. The rapidity of Blunt's movements prevented the execution of the rebel plans. They were provided with ten days' cooked rations, which they carried in their haversacks, evi- dently intending to make a determined march north- ward. Blunt's forced march of thirty-five miles was an unexpected, and for them an unfortunate circum- stance; and this single battle may, perhaps, have been the salvation of Southern Missouri. It is proba- ble that a bold push would now enable us to retake and hold Fort Smith. Battles, however, are unusual events upon the bor- der. The kind of service required of boarder soldiers is quite unique. They march and countermarch, sometimes in large bodies, sometimes in little squads. They chase the guerrillas, and when the guerrillas– who are not hampered with a load of blankets, haver- sacks, canteens, revolvers, carbines, and other para- phernaila–have succeeded in distancing them, our men trot leisurely back to camp, with a prisoner or two, and no men killed on either side. The next day it is Da Capo al Segno again. For example, all the cavalry in the Second and Third Divisions have just returned from a trip to Yellville, Ark. They were out six days without tents. At night, they bivouacked in their blankets upon the bare ground. If it rained, they slept in mudpuddles, while the drops beat tattoo upon their upturned faces. They chased a number of small bands of rebels, captured about eighty pris- oners, and returned without having had a single skirmish. Whether this sort of work is remunera- tive or not, is a question for Uncle Samuel's own de- cision. The result of all this exposure is a very large num- ber of sick. There are at this moment more than a thousand sick soldiers in the Springfield hospitals, and five hundred more are on the way here from the South. They fill the public buildings. They swarm in private houses. New buildings are being prepared for their reception. One large tobacco factory has been rented as a hospital. In one of the churches they lie upon the seats and upon the floor, without beds or bedding. The medical corps is very energet- ic and efficient. Yet, after all, many of them still lie in lepis(?), and not less than eight or ten die every day. The Military Cemetery is filling up rapidly. Nor are the soldiers the only sufferers. But I must speak of the prisoners and of the loyal refugees in another letter. The result of the election on Missouri has surprized (sic) every one, and especially in this Congressional Dis- trict. Col. Phelps, the faithful Representative, who has long served his constituents and his country in the National Congress, and who has never before been defeated since his first election, is at last laid upon the shelf. Many causes conspired to bring about this result. First, Phelps was absent, and his friends felt so confident of his success that they sim- ply let the election take care of itself, while his oppo- nents were busily working against him. Many plain men felt that he could not be a Colonel and a Gov- ernor and a Congressman all at one time. Others urged that more than a year ago, in Springfield, at a disloyal demonstration, at which a regiment of self-appointed Union volunteers, organized for the occasion, were present, Col. Phelps was too com- plaisant, and permitted the Secessionists to hoist a mongrel banner upon the public square, which was half rebel and half the flag of the State. Moreover Col. Boyd, his antagonist, was an avowed Emancipa- tionist, while Col. Phelps ran upon the simple plat- form, "The Union, the Constitution, and the En- forcement of the Laws," and declined to express his sentiments upon the question of African Slavery. The vote polled was extremely small. The entire vote did not equal a single majority once claimed by the now defeated candidate. But there has undoubt- edly been a great revolution in the public sentiment of Southwestern Missouri upon the subject of emanci- pation. Upon the subject, Col. Phelps has not pub- licly expressed himself, and it would not be surpriz- ing if he should yet become an open advocate of that policy. With regard to his perfect loyalty, I have not heard any one breathe a doubt. He proved that at the battle of Pea Ridge, where his bravery and de- votion were conspicuous. His old associates in Con- gress and the country at large will certainly miss his voice and his influence in the halls of our National Legislature. KICKAPOO. Additional Comments: The New-York Times. VOL. XII–NO. 3499. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1862 PRICE THREE CENTS. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/audubon/newspapers/goodnews39nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/iafiles/ File size: 11.2 Kb