in good order on the 15th. Meanwhile, Price and McCulloch,
having some disagreement, withdrew to the Arkansas border.

General John C. Fremont was, July 9, 1861, assigned to the command of
the Western District, comprising the States of Illinois, Kentucky,
Missouri, and Kansas, and territories west, and arrived in St. Louis
from the East on July 25th. Before arriving he appointed
Brigadier-General John Pope to command the district of Northern
Missouri, being that part of Missouri north of the Missouri River. Pope
arrived at St. Charles, Mo., with three infantry regiments and part of
one cavalry regiment of Illinois volunteers, on July 17th, and assumed
command. On July 21st, General Pope published an order making all
property within five miles of a railway responsible for malicious injury
done to such railway. On July 31st he published another order, making
the property of each county responsible for damage done by, and the cost
of suppressing, predatory outbreaks in such county. For a month the
effect of these orders was to allay disturbance in the district, and
secure the administration of affairs by the ordinary machinery of civil
government; but in about a month the orders were set aside, and in their
place martial law was declared throughout the State.

General Fremont learned of the battle of Wilson Creek on August 13th,
and resolved at once to fortify St. Louis as his permanent base, and
also fortify and garrison Jefferson City, Rolla, Cape Girardeau, and
Ironton. Price marched leisurely up through the western border of the
State. Unorganized bands springing up in the country attacked
Booneville and Lexington, but were easily repulsed by the little
detachments guarding those places. Colonel Mulligan was sent to
Lexington with additional troops, making the entire force there 2,800
men and eight field-pieces, and with orders to remain until relieved or
reinforced.

On September 11th, Price arrived before Lexington. There is no authentic
report of his strength; indeed, a large part of his following was an
unorganized assemblage. He must have numbered 14,000 men at the
beginning of the siege; and reinforcements daily arriving swelled the
number to, at all events, more than 20,000. Colonel Mulligan took
position on a rising ground close to the river, east of the city,
forming a plateau with a surface of about fifteen acres, and fortified.

Judging by the despatches of General Fremont, he seems to have felt no
appre