er
service.

At the end of a fortnight Gen. McCulloch suffered Gen. Pearce to return
to Arkansas with his Arkansas Division, while Gen. McCulloch retired
with his brigade of Louisianians and Texans, and Price was left free to
do as he pleased.

194

The death of Gen. Lyon at last aroused Gen. Fremont to a fever of energy
to do the things that he should have done weeks before. He began a
bombardment of Washington with telegrams asking for men, money and
supplies, and sent dispatches of the most urgent nature to everybody
from whom he could expect the least help. He called on the Governors of
the loyal Western States to hurry to him all the troops that they could
raise, and asked from Washington Regular troops, artillery, $3,000,000
for the Quartermaster's Department, and other requirements in
proportion. He made a requisition on the St. Louis banks for money, and
showed a great deal of fertility of resource.

Aug. 15, five days after the battle, President Lincoln, stirred up by
his fusillade of telegrams, dispatched him the following:

Washington, Aug. 15, 1861. To Gen. Fremont:

Been answering your messages ever since day before
yesterday. Do you receive the answers? The War Department
has notified all the Governors you designate to forward all
available force. So telegraphed you. Have you received these
messages? Answer immediately.

A. LINCOLN.

With relation to his conduct toward Gen. Lyon, Gen. Fremont afterward
testified to this effect before the Committee on the Conduct of the War:

A glance at the map will make it apparent that Cairo was the
point which first demanded immediate attention. The force
under Gen. Lyon could retreat, but the position at Cairo
could not be abandoned; the question of holding Cairo was
one which involved the safety of the whole Northwest. Had
the taking of St. Louis followed the defeat of Manassas, the
disaster might have been irretrievable; while the loss of
Springfield, should our army be compelled to fall back upon
Rolla, would only carry with it the loss of a part of
Missouri--a loss greatly to be regretted, but not
irretrievable. Having reinforced Cape Girardeau and Ironton,
by the ut-most exertions, I succeeded in getting together
and embarking with a force of 3,800 men, five days after my
arrival in St Louis.

195

From St. Louis to