ce upon the territory left unguarded by the
retirement of the Union army, Gen. Price and his Missourians would
embrace the opportunity to pay back with interest the debt of vengeance
which had been running since the wars of '56 and '57. Therefore Lane
received the authority to recruit five regiments in Kansas, and went
about his work with his characteristic energy.

The 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Kan. at once began organizing, receiving
many recruits from the young Union men who had been forced to leave
Missouri, and within a week or more after the battle of Wilson's Creek
Gen. Lane had mustered an effective force of about 2,500 men, who had
received some clothing and equipment and much instruction from the
Regular officers and men at Forts Scott, Riley and Leavenworth.

With these forces in hand under a man of Lane's well-known character,
neither Gen. Price nor his men had much disposition to meddle with
Kansas, even if the General had not other and more comprehensive views.

Gen. Price was not waiting for Fremont's plans to develop before
executing his own. He employed the two weeks after the battle in
diligently organizing his men, and Aug. 26 left Springfield at the head
of a column of about 10,000 enthusiastic young Missourians, who had
in that brief time made great progress in soldiership. He caused great
alarm at Fort Scott, by pointing the head of his column toward that
place, and arriving within 10 miles of it on the night of the 1st
of September, sent Rains's Division, which was made up of men from
southwest Missouri, forward to reconnoiter.

202

Rains's advance of 30 mounted men under Capt. Rector Johnson pushed
forward to within sight of Fort Scott, on the morning of Sept. 1, and
captured a drove of 80 Government mules which had been sent out to graze
on the prairies. They also carried off all the able-bodied men that they
could find on their line of march. Two companies of the newly-raised
Kansas cavalry promptly attacked Johnson's command, which fell back
across the line toward the main body, encamped at Dry Wood. Gen. Lane
gathered up such of his volunteers as were in reach, and moved to Dry
Wood, where he offered Gen. Rains battle, but the latter declined to be
drawn from the shelter in the woods in which he had formed his lines,
and Lane did not think it was prudent to attack a force the strength of
which he could not ascertain.

A noisy, long-range skirmish ensued, which terminated at nightfall