tate
of Missouri from Federal invasion; and appointed Sterling Price a
major-general, with nine brigadiers, among whom were Jeff Thompson,
Clark and Parsons. Perhaps no state went into open resistance of the
United States authority as unprepared in every way as Missouri. Her
population was scattered; one-half Union, and utterly ignorant of
drill, discipline, or any of the arts of war. They were, besides,
perfectly unarmed, except with their hunting pieces, and the state
Capital, the arsenals and all the larger towns were in possession of
the Union troops. These laughed at the attempt of Missouri to shake off
the grasp of the government, and their generals boldly proclaimed that
"she was under the paws of the lion, and her first movement would cause
them to close and crush her life out."

Still, Price, seconded by his brigadiers, went to work with great
activity to collect their scattered adherents and put them into form.
In a country held by superior forces, with communications cut up and no
means of information, the task was Herculean, indeed. Yet they
endeavored by zeal and energy to make amends for these deficiencies and
for the want of supplies. Price's name was a tower of strength in
itself; his hardy compatriots flocked around him, and nearly every day
there were collisions between them and the United States troops. These
skirmishes, though unimportant in themselves, gave the new soldiers
lessons in war; and not infrequently added to their scanty stock of
arms and equipments. They were but the first dashes in the grand
tableaux of war that Price was yet to hew, with the bold hand of a
master, from the crude mass of material alone in his power to use.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE LEADERS AND THE LED.

Thus much of detail arranged, General Lee was, for the present,
detained in Richmond by the President, as consulting and organizing
officer; and to aid the Adjutant-General--Samuel Cooper, senior general
of the five--in the location of armies, distribution of troops, and
assignment of officers. General Lee's perfect knowledge of the
_materiel_ of the Virginia army and of the topographical features of
the state, peculiarly fitted him for this work; but every step was
taken subject to the decision of Mr. Davis himself. The appointments of
officers, the distribution of troops--in fact, the minutiae of the War
Department--were managed by him in person.

He seemed fully alive to the vital importance of making the grou