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the northern part of Missouri and the highway of the Missouri River, the State of Illinois and the River Mississippi, and to the west the State of Kansas, colonised by men strongly opposed to the Southern cause. The Confederates, as the State party of Missouri may now be termed, held the Southern frontier formed by the State of Arkansas, a State even more recently colonised and more thinly settled than Missouri. Both sides were even less prepared for war, as far as related to arms and supplies, than the Eastern States of the Union and of the Confederacy; but the Federals had in those respects greatly the advantage. The troops under General Price's command were armed for the most part with shot guns, many not armed at all; they were unprovided with wagons and tents, and were almost entirely without artillery. For these reasons, the Confederate general determined on giving up the greater portion of the State and withdrawing towards the frontiers of Arkansas, where General M'Culloch, the commander of the Southern forces in that State, was making preparations for his assistance. For this purpose General M'Culloch issued a proclamation on July 1, to the inhabitants of Arkansas, inviting them to assemble at Fayetteville near the south-western frontier of Missouri, and desiring them to bring whatever arms they had, or, if unprovided with any, to come unarmed and he would furnish them, so that every effort might be made to assist their brethren of Missouri. In two columns the Confederates moved-the first from Booneville, in a south-westerly direction, to Warsaw, under command of Governor Jackson; the second, directly south from Lexington, under Generals Rains and Stark, recently appointed brigadier-generals by Governor Jackson. In consequence of severe illness,

General Price was unable to take the field in person. The first column, after surprising a Federal detachment and capturing some stands of arms, reached Cedar County, where it formed a junction with the force from Lexington; the total numbers amounted to about 3,600, of which nearly 600 were unarmed. A large portion of the force consisted of men on horseback armed with shot guns, and called cavalry, and attached to the army were four small pieces of artillery, for which there was not a proper supply of ammunition. The Federals in the meantime had not been idle; Colonel Siegel had moved southwards to Rolla, and thence about 100 miles southwest to Springfield, where he arrived on June 23; whilst General Lyon prepared to march from Booneville and to cooperate with him. The object of the Federals was to crush what they termed the rebellion before it had gained head, and before the generals in command had organised their forces. From the position of the troops at the beginning of July, it will be seen that the Confederates, having united their two columns, were able to attack a portion of the Federal force before the remainder could afford support. It became also a necessity for them to do so, as Colonel Siegel, underrating his opponents' strength and ignorant of the junction of the two columns, advanced from Springfield to Neosho, and thus closed the routes to Arkansas. On July 1 he entered Neosho, the principal town of Newton County, and there learnt of the junction of the two Confederate columns. Notwithstanding this information, he received instructions from Brigadier Sweeny, who had arrived at Springfield, to attack, and for this purpose marched northwards to Carthage. The Confederate force was moving on the same place, and on July 5, about eight miles north of Carthage,

the two armies met. The country is undulating, and what is termed a prairie country, over which woods are interspersed. The action was commenced between 9 and 10 A.M. by the Federal artillery, which played upon and usually dispersed the Confederate cavalry whenever they attempted to form for the purpose of attack. The Confederate artillery, owing to the short range of the guns and the bad ammunition, were unable to reply with any effect. Soon after midday the Confederate infantry advanced, whilst their cavalry threatened to turn the flanks of the Federals, and even to get between them and their baggage-train, which was three miles in the rear. Colonel Siegel, therefore, ordered his troops to retire across a creek or stream called Dry Fork Creek. This they accomplished,

covered by their artillery. The Confederates still continued to advance, and as the Federals had destroyed the bridge over the stream, they threw timber into its bed and so crossed over. The cavalry in the meantime threatened the Federal communications, but did little more, as a few shells from the artillery quickly dispersed them. The Federals continued their retreat through Carthage, where they attempted to make a slight stand, to Sarcoxia, in the direction of Springfield. The loss on either side was very slight. The armies preserved a respectful distance from each other, and the action on the part of the Federals was fought principally with the artillery. Colonel Siegel acknowledged to 13 killed and 31 wounded; the Confederate loss was about 50 killed and 125 wounded; their accounts also state the Federal loss to have been far greater than was admitted. In this battle the advantage certainly remained with the Confederates; in numbers they were considerably superior, but they were ill supplied with artillery,