unt of political opinions, or
for the merely private expression of the same, shall
hereafter be made within the limits of the State of
Missouri, and all persons who may have been arrested and are
now held to answer upon such charges only shall be forthwith
released; but it is expressly declared that nothing in this
proclamation shall be construed to bar or interfere with any
of the usual and regular proceedings of the established
courts under statutes and orders made and provided for such
offenses.

2. All peaceably disposed citizens who may have been driven
from their homes because of their political opinions, or who
may have left them from fear of force and violence, are
hereby advised and permitted to return, upon the faith of
our positive assurances that while so returning they shall
receive protection from both the armies in the field
wherever it can be given.

3. All bodies of armed men acting without the authority or
recognition of the Major-Generals before named, and not
legitimately connected with the armies in the field, are
hereby ordered at once to disband.

4. Any violation of either of the foregoing articles shall
subject the offender to the penalty of military law,
according to the nature of the offense.

In testimony whereof the aforesaid Maj.-Gen. John Charles
Fremont, at Springfield, Mo., on this 1st day of November,
A. D. 1861, and Maj.-Gen. Sterling Price, at Cassville, Mo.,
on this 6th day of November, A. D. 1861, have hereunto set
their hands, and hereby mutually pledge their earnest
efforts to the enforcement of the above articles of
agreement according to their full tenor and effect, to the
best of their ability.

J. C FREMONT, Major-General Commanding.

STERLING PRICE, Major-General Commanding.

The practical effect of this was that Price was allowed to send such of
his men as he wished home for the Winter, with a safeguard against their
being molested by the Union troops, but it had no effect in protecting
Union men from being harassed by guerrilla tormentors, who cared as
little for conventions and proclamations as for the Sermon on the Mount.

281

In the meanwhile Fremont's astonishing ill success in purely military
matters, the freely expressed opinion of all who came in contact with
him as to his glaring