pport war" by
drawing his supplies from the country through which he operated. Under
Halleck's orders Gen. Curtis directed that the cavalry should locate
all the mills convenient to the line of march, set them to work grinding
grain, and encourage the Union farmers to bring in their grain, hogs
and cattle, for which the Quartermaster would pay them fair prices. This
work was an admirable education for Halleck's Chief Quartermaster, a
young Captain named Philip H. Sheridan, who was to turn the lessons then
learned to magnificent account afterwards.

304

Lebanon was taken possession of without more resistance than a running
fight in which a notorious Capt. Tom Craig, of the Confederate army, was
killed. Gen. Curtis arrived at Lebanon Jan. 31, leaving Sigel and Asboth
at Rolla to follow as fast as the roads would permit. The recent severe
storms of sleet and snow had been quite trying to the men and animals,
but the columns were pressed forward, and on Feb. 7 Sigel's and Asboth's
men were all in Lebanon, where they were joined by Jeff C. Davis's
Division marching from Otterville by the way of Linn Creek.

Halleck's orders to Curtis were clear, comprehending and purposeful.
Curtis seems to have been not a little apprehensive of the force he
might have to encounter, but Halleck constantly urged him forward, at
the same time enjoining him to keep his troops well in hand, and not
allow Price to attack him in detail. He was to "throw out his cavalry
carefully, like fingers to the hands." Most particularly he was not
to allow Sigel to go off on any independent expedition and serve him as
Sigel had served Lyon at Wilson's Creek. Halleck urged Hunter to advance
his Kansas troops down through his department so as to threaten Price's
left flank, and he told Curtis that if he, Curtis, would take care of
Price, that he himself would look out for Johnson, Polk, Beauregard and
Hardee.

305

The splendid young Missouri, Iowa and Illinois volunteers, welded into
superb regiments by months of service, with the worthless of their
officers removed by Halleck's rigid pruning, pressed forward with
an enthusiasm that no storms could diminish or wretchedness of roads
discourage. They forded swollen, icy streams, pulled their wagons up
steep hills, or pried them out of quagmires, and bore the fury of
the storm with sanguine cheerfulness, believing they were now moving
directly forward to the great end of crushing the enemies of the
Go