ning there very long, but he was enabled to
take about three thousand recruits from there without molestation from us.

Price's campaign as planned for the winter was to have General
McCullough's Arkansas force, which was lying at Cross Timbers, near
Elkhorn Tavern, and Van Buren in Arkansas, join him. Price complained
bitterly of his inability to obtain any aid from McCullough, stating that
if he could obtain it he could march into northern Missouri and hold the
State, and recruit there an Army of Missourians; which, from my experience
in the State, I have no doubt he would have done if he could have moved
there and held his position.

General Halleck's plan evidently was to move a body from Rolla directly on
Springfield, with the intention of striking and defeating Price before
Price could receive reinforcements, but Halleck had a great disinclination
to move until he had organized the forces in the State of Missouri into
Brigades and Divisions, had them properly mustered and officered, and had
his staff departments so arranged that they could be depended upon to take
care of any moving column. This disinclination of Halleck to move carried
us on to the first of January.

In December General Siegel was given command of the troops at Rolla, and
Captain Phil Sheridan was sent there as Quartermaster for that Army. His
ability and foresight in organizing the transportation of an Army, feeding
it, and fitting it for a campaign, was shown every day.

On December 26th General Halleck assigned General S. R. Curtis to the
command of the District of Southwest Missouri. This included the forces
under Siegel at Rolla, and caused very severe comments from them. From the
letters of Halleck, written at the time and afterwards, this placing of
Siegel under Curtis was caused by the letters and opinions--in fact, the
denunciations--of Siegel made by Captains Schofield, Totten, and Sturgis,
when with Lyon in the Wilson's Creek campaign. Evidently Halleck lost all
faith in Siegel as commander of the Southwestern Army, and therefore
assigned Brigadier-General Samuel R. Curtis, who had been stationed at St.
Louis, to the command. But General Siegel was still left in command of two
Divisions of the troops near Rolla, which was a great mistake.

As soon as General Curtis assumed command General Halleck commenced urging
him to move to the south on Springfield, agreeing to send to him Colonel
Jeff C. Davis's Division to join him before reac