had been
given Fremont, had it been handled with the ability and boldness of
Sherman's March to the Sea.

Two weeks after Mulligan's surrender Fremont announced the formation of
this grand "Army of the West," containing approximately 50,000 men. This
was grouped as follows:

The First Division, to which Gen. David Hunter was assigned, consisted
of 9,750 men, and was ordered to take position at Versailles, about 40
miles southwest of Jefferson City, and became the Left Wing of the Army.

Gen. John Pope was given command of the Second Division of 9,220 men and
ordered to take station at Boonville, 50 miles northwest of Jefferson
City. His position was to be the Right Wing of the army.

The Third Division, 7,980 strong, was put under command of Gen. Franz
Sigel, and made the advance of the army, with its station at Sedalia and
Georgetown, 64 miles west of Jefferson City.

222

The Fifth Division, commanded by Gen. Asboth, had 6,461 men, and
constituted the reserve at Tipton, on the railroad, 38 miles west of
Jefferson City.

The Fifth Division, 5,388 men, under Gen. Justus McKinstry, formed the
center and was posted at Syracuse, five miles west of Tipton.

Beside these, Gen. Sturgis held Kansas City with 3,000 men and Gen.
Jas. H. Lane, with 2,500 men, was to move in Kansas down the State line,
between Fort Scott and Kansas City, to protect Kansas from an incursion
in that direction, and as opportunity offered attack Price's flank.

Thus, there were 38,789 effectives in the five divisions, which with
Sturgis's and Lane's forces made a total force of 44,289, not including
garrisons which swell the total of the army to over 90,000.

Among these Division Commanders were two whom Fremont had discovered and
created Brigadier-Generals out of his own volition, without consultation
at Washington.

These were Gens. Asboth and McKinstry. Gen. Alexander (Sandor)
Asboth, born in 1811, was a Hungarian and an educated engineer, with
considerable experience in and against the Austrian army. He had entered
ardently into the Revolution of 1848, and built a bridge in a single
night by which the Revolutionary army crossed and won the brilliant
victory of Nagy Salo. He became Adjutant-General of the Hungarian army,
and when the Revolution was crushed by Russian troops, escaped with
Kossuth into Turkey, came to this country, and became a naturalized
citizen. He was by turns farmer, teacher, engineer, and manufacturer of
galvani