p his men, received some additional recruits, some
arms and ammunition, and pushed on to Warsaw, on the Osage, one of the
points of concentration indicated by Gen. Price, capturing 1,500 pound
cans and 1,500 kegs of fine rifle powder, many tons of pig-lead, 70
stand of small-arms, a steamboat-load of tent cloth, a lot of State
Guard uniforms, four Confederate flags, and 1,200 false-faces which
had been used by the "border ruffians" in their political operations
in Kansas. A little further on they surrounded and captured 1,000
Secessionists, and paroled them on the spot.

The Secessionists, on the other hand, took much comfort out of the
surprise and defeat and the acquisition of 362 new muskets and 150 more
which they had beguiled from a German company in a neighboring County.

133

In the meanwhile the Conservatives, aided by Lieut-Gen. Scott, whose
distrust of "Capt." Lyon never abated, secured the addition of Missouri
to the Department commanded by McClellan, whom it was thought would hold
the "audacious" officer in check. Lyon, though he felt that McClellan,
then far distant in West Virginia, could not give matters in the State
the attention they needed, yet loyally accepted the assignment, wrote at
once to McClellan cordially welcoming him as his commander, and giving
full information as to the conditions, with suggestions as to what
should be done. Col. Blair and the Radicals were much displeased at
this move, and began efforts to have Missouri erected into a separate
Department and placed under the command of John C. Fremont, lately
appointed a Major-General, and from whose military talents there were
the greatest expectations.

As the first Presidential candidate of the Republican Party Fremont
had a strong hold upon the hearts of the Northern people. During the
campaign of 1856 there had been the customary partisan eulogies of the
candidates, which placed "the Great Pathfinder" and all he had done in
the most favorable light before the American people. Above all he was
thought to be thoroughly in sympathy with the policy which Blair and his
following desired to pursue.

In reality Fremont was a man of somewhat more than moderate ability, but
boundless aspirations. He was the son-in-law of Senator Benton, and
his wife, the queenly, ambitious, handsome Jessie Benton Fremont, was
naturally eager for her husband to be as prominent in the National
councils as had been her father. What Fremont was equal to is