oundary of
the State to get near Gen. Ben McCulloch, who had posted his forces at
Cross Hollow, in Benton County, northwest Arkansas. Gen. Price took
up his position at Pineville, in the extreme southwestern corner of
Missouri, where the rough, hilly country offered great chances to the
defense, and again began communication with Gen. McCulloch to induce him
to unite his force with his own and attack the Union army.

He had correctly estimated Fremont's generalship, and thought there was
a possibility of massing his and McCulloch's forces, to attack a portion
of Fremont's army, drive it back and defeat him in detail. McCulloch,
in spite of his ranger reputation, entirely lacked Price's aggressive
spirit, and thought that it would be much better to fall back to the
Boston Mountain, about 50 miles farther south, and make a stand there.
He so informed Gen. Price.

While McCulloch had no disposition to enter Missouri and defend it
against the Union troops, he had no hesitation about treating it as
part of Confederate territory. Desiring to embarrass and delay Fremont's
advance as much as possible, he sent forward his Texas cavalry to burn
the mills, forage and grain as far in the direction of Springfield as
they could safely go, and urged Price to do the same. McCulloch's Texans
soon lighted up the southwest country with burning mills, barns and
stacks.

To this Gen. Price was bitterly opposed. The mills and grain were in
many instances the property of the Secessionists, and to destroy them
would be to inflict worse punishment on his own people than the Union
commanders had ever done, and would embitter them against his cause.

227

Price repeatedly represented to McCulloch that altogether they would
have 25,000 men, and if McCulloch did not desire to go forward they
could make a good defensive battle inside the State on the hills around
Pineville. To leave it would cause the loss of very many Missourians who
had enlisted in the State Guard to defend Missouri, and who would feel
that they had no cause to fight outside of the State.

After crossing the Osage Fremont halted near Connersville, about 25
miles south of Warsaw, where he crossed the river, and then advanced
with Sigel to Bolivar, on the Springfield road, and sent forward Maj.
Charles Zagonyi with 150 of his famous Body Guard and Maj. F. J. White
with 180 men of the 1st Mo. Cav., to make a reconnoissance in the
direction of Springfield.

Fremont's Body G