flicts or doubts in relation to roders may embarrass my movements. Price is now entering a mountainous country very destitute of supplies, and his men are actually falling dead of starvation in his rear. They hang together under the impression that we kill all prisoners, a falsehood well calculated to retain his force intact. He still has three pieces of artillery, and his numbers are very great. He has destroyed most of his train and is very destitute, but all of his men being mounted he continues to make rapid progress, which can only be overcome by extraordinary efforts on the part of our troops. The delay occasioned by General Rosecrans' orders will be equivalent to thirty-six hours, but it is partially compensated by a little rest and food which we were enabled to procure in this vicinity. I must say, in conclusion, that I desire to avoid all reproachful imputations against Generals Rosecrans and Pleasonton, who have acted no doubt upon their best judgment as things are seen at their stand-points. I must award to General Pleasonton high commendation for his skill and gallantry in the field. I do not mean to depreciate others, of whom I shall speak in my proper report, and who have not only been gallant in many fields, but are constantly willing to aid me to the utmost of human endurance to carry out what I consider a complete result of this campaign.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

The foregoing correspondence shows all the facts in my possession concerning the withdrawal of forces from the pursuit of Price. But for the presence of our united troops the people of Southwest Missouri were overpowered, and Price had everything, including the approaching elections, his own way, just as he had them in 1861, when he controlled the State of Missouri in this same vicinity. Besides, there were the posts of Fayetteville, Fort Gibson, and Fort Smith, below, near, and on the Arkansas, where we had a vast amount of public stores and several thousands of our comrades, who were at the mercy of Price's starving, stealing hordes. I had, as subsequently directed by you, sent a dispatch to General Thayer, Fort Smith, from Fort Scott, dated October 26, informing him that I was "trying to continue the pursuit till his force is entirely destroyed or beyond our post," and in every point of view it seemed necessary to press the enemy beyond these posts. Your dispatch of the 28th informing me of the wishes of the lieutenant-general that the enemy should be pursued beyond the Arkansas was singularly appreciative of all this. The only misfortune is that it did not arrive twenty hours sooner. An honest difference of opinion existed, as shown by a dispatch sent by General Pleasonton to General Rosecrans from Fort Scott, on the 26th or 27th, and as also by a communication emanating from General Sanborn, which is as follows:

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI,
Springfield, Mo., November 12, 1864.

Major-General PLEASONTON:

I have just returned from Cassville, and will forward my official report of the campaign in a few days. No one has fired a shot at the enemy since the battle of Newtonia, where the enemy gained great advantage over Blunt at first, by my command got in time to turn the enemy's right and the tide of things. The enemy lost very largely in men and horses in Northern Arkansas and the border. My idea was, and is now, when we got him below Newtonia and the region of grain mills and cattle we should not crowd him any more, but rather make an effort to hold him in this land of starvation, as we would a garrison out of supplies, until his army broke up and divided. Deserters were very numerous while Price was in this section, but I have seen none since he was pushed off toward his supplies. My own view is that all the efforts of General Curtis to drive the enemy - and they have been great and entitle him to credit - have been to our detriment and the enemy's advantage, for I believe one-half of his army would have deserted north of the Arkansas had it not been for fear of the pursuing foe, and the pursuit has been expensive; but the enemy has suffered badly, and all should be satisfied, I suppose. My dispatches from General Thayer indicate that the troops on the Arkansas will not attack Price.

JOHN B. SANBORN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

33 R R - VOL XLI, PT I