ing with military adventurers from Europe, men with
more or less shadow on their connection with the foreign armies, and
eager to sell their swords to the highest advantage. They swarmed around
Fremont like bees around a sugar barrel, much to the detriment of the
honest and earnest men of foreign birth who were rallying to the support
of the Union.

Next to his satrapal court of exotic manners and speech, Fremont was
most concerned about the safety of Cairo, Ill., a most important
point, then noisily threatened by Maj.-Gen. Leonidas Polk, the militant
Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana, and his subordinate, the
blatant Gen. Gideon J. Pillow, of Mexican War notoriety.

149

Gen. Fremont made quite a show of reinforcing Cairo, sending a most
imposing fleet of steamboats to carry the 4,000 troops sent thither.

Pretense still counted for much in the war. Later it burnt up like dry
straw in the fierce blaze of actualities.

Not being Fremont's own, nor contributing particularly to his
aggrandizement, Gen. Lyon's plans and aims had little importance to his
Commanding General.

Gen. Lyon saw clearly that the place to fight for St. Louis and Missouri
was in the neighborhood of Springfield, and by messenger and letter he
importuned that St. Louis be left to the care of the loyal Germans of
the Home Guards, who had shown their ability to handle the city, and
that all the other troops there and elsewhere in the State be rushed
forward to him, with shoes and clothing for his unshod, ragged soldiers,
and sufficient rations for the army, which had well-nigh exhausted the
country upon which it had been living for so long.

But Fremont frittered away his strength in sending regiments to chase
guerrilla bands which dissolved as soon as the trail became too hot.

Two regiments were ordered to Lyon from points so distant that they
could not make the march in less than 10 days or a fortnight, and some
scanty supplies sent to Rolla remained there because of lack of wagons
to carry them forward to Springfield, 120 miles away.

150

Later Gen. Fremont testified before the Committee on the Conduct of the
War that he had ordered Gen. Lyon, if he could not maintain himself at
Springfield, to fall back to Rolla, but singularly he did not produce
this order.

Though Gen. Lyon had marched his men 50 miles in one day to prevent the
junction of Gen. Ben Mc-Culloch's Arkansas column with the hosts Gen.
Sterling Price was gathe