stration as to the
political conduct of the war. He was a soldier, proud of his profession,
true to his traditions, and possibly had ambition to be reckoned among
the great commanders. He had been noted for high administrative ability,
and this trait was well illustrated in his grasp of the situation in
Missouri and on the borders of the State. His main communications to the
people were orders, plain, practical, and to the point. Whatever he did
was on the highest plane of the science of warfare as he understood it.

Proper military discipline and subordination were introduced everywhere
and a rigid system of accountability. He had troubles with his own men
to add to his difficulties with the enemy. We find the most note of this
with reference to the Germans.

297

The Missouri Germans were a splendid lot of men, taken as a whole,
and had an unusual number of officers who were trained soldiers of
considerable military experience. At the head of this class was Gen.
Peter J. Osterhaus, who had been a private soldier under Lyon in
securing the Arsenal, and had commanded a battalion with high credit to
himself at Wilson's Creek. He was now a Colonel commanding a brigade.

With this excellent material there was a large per cent that ranged
from worthless to actually criminal. Many adventurers from the European
armies had hastened to this country to sell their swords to the best
advantage, and many black sheep, who had been forced out of their
armies, sought in our troubles and our ignorance of military matters an
opportunity for their own exaltation and profit. Halleck dealt with all
with a firm, unsparing hand. He began to weed out the worthless officers
and to court-martial the rascals. Company, battalion and regimental
organizations which he found too mutinous and disorderly for hopeful
management, he either disarmed and set to hard labor or discharged from
the service.

The raids of the vengeful Kansans across the Missouri borders gave
him excessive annoyance, and he issued orders that all Kansas parties
entering the State should be arrested and disarmed. That he might
have more complete control of them, however, he recommended that the
Department of Kansas be merged with his command, and as this was in
had mony with Gen. Hunter's ideas, it was subsequently done. In the
meanwhile he had to look out for the Mississippi River and the highly
important point of, Cairo. He started to construct a fleet of gunboats
to h