money, and
a very large quantity of Commissary and Quartermaster's supplies.

Though he was to fight nearly four years longer with the greatest
enterprise and determination, though he was to command vastly stronger
forces, and though he was to be followed by myriads of Missourians with
unfaltering courage and enthusiasm, he was never to approach a parallel
to this shining achievement.

It was felt that Lexington was only the earnest of incomparably greater
things he was going to do in delivering Missouri from the hated Yankees,
and making hers the brightest star in the Southern Confederacy, paling
with her military glory even historic Virginia. Then McCulloch would
come up with his Texans, Louisianians and Arkansans, and Albert
Pike with his horde of Indians. There would be such an overthrow and
annihilation of their enemies as the world had never before seen,
followed by a race to get to St. Louis before Polk, Pillow and M. Jeff
Thompson could reach her from down the Mississippi.

Sterling Price was eager to fight Fremont among the rough, high lands
south of Springfield, and his ardent followers wanted a repetition
of the triumph of Lexington; but McCulloch would not come up from his
fastness at Cross Hollows. Without him Sterling Price, his strength
depleted by defections on his long retreat, did not feel warranted in
offering battle, even with the advantage of the defensive hills.

286

McCulloch was importuned to come forward without success. The best
comfort he could give Sterling Price was to destroy that part of
Missouri and make it worthless to the enemy. McCulloch wanted to advance
into Kansas, however, and utterly destroy that Territory, to strike
terror to the Abolitionists. It speaks very badly for their intelligence
system that both Price and McCulloch maintained, that neither of them
was aware for days that the Union army had left Springfield, Nov. 8, on
its retreat to Rolla and Sedalia. Although their camps were only some 70
miles from Springfield, they did not learn of the retreat until Nov. 16,
when McCulloch, seized at last with a sudden desire to enter Missouri,
rushed all his mounted men forward in hopes to capture trains and
detachments. They were disgusted to find upon arriving at Springfield
that the last Union soldier and wagon had left there more than a week
previous.

After some destruction of property, McCulloch sullenly returned to
his old position in Arkansas, where, leaving his co