f the Regular officer in him to be willing
to move until his forces were thoroly organized and equipped. There was
little in him of the spirit of Lyon or Price, who improvised means for
doing what they wanted to do, no matter whether regulations permitted it
or not.

Hardee complained that though he had then 2,300 men and expected to
shortly raise this force to 5,000, one of his batteries had no horses
and no harness, and none of his regiments had transportation enough for
field service, and that all regiments were badly equipped and needed
discipline and instruction.

Later, Hardee repaired many of these deficiencies, and was in shape to
do a great deal of damage to the Union cause, and of this Fremont and
his subordinates were well aware. Gens. Polk and Pillow, with quite
strong forces at Columbus, were threatening Cairo and southeast
Missouri, and an advance was made into the State by their picturesque
subordinate, Gen. M. Jeff Thompson, the poet laureate of the New Madrid
marshes and the "Swamp Fox" who was to emulate the exploits of Francis
Marion. Thompson moved forward with a considerable force of irregular
mounted men, the number of which was greatly exaggerated, and it was
reported that behind him was a column commanded by Pillow, ranging all
the way from 8,000 to 25,000.

197

Gen. Fremont set an immense force of laborers to work on an elaborate
system of fortification for the city of St. Louis, and also began the
construction of fortifications at Cape Girardeau, Ironton, Rolla and
Jefferson City. He employed laborers instead of using his troops, in
order to give the latter opportunity to be drilled and equipped.
He issued the following startling General Order, which produced the
greatest commotion in the State and outside of it:

Headquarters of the Western Department,

St Louis, Aug. 31, 1861.

Circumstances in my judgment of sufficient urgency render it
necessary that the Commanding General of this Department
should assume the administrative power of the State. Its
disorganized condition, the devastation of property by bands
of murderers and marauders who infest nearly every County in
the State, and avail themselves of the public misfortunes
and the vicinity of a hostile force to gratify private and
neighborhood vengeance, and who find an enemy wherever they
find plunder, finally demand the severest measures to
repress the daily increas