Missouri the Union party was despondent, andloud complaints were visited upon the command-ing general. On the 27th he started for Lexing-ton with 20,000 men and 86 guns, hut Price hadno mind to await him in that neighbourhood.Having dealt his blow, he knew how to get out ofthe way. He crossed the great state by forcedmarches, and was soon in his southwest corner nearthe friendly borders of Arkansas . By the middleof October Fremont had increased his Fremont’sarmy to nearly 40,000. With this movements,force he felt sure of overwhelming Price, and eventalked of a triumphant progress of a thousandmiles down the Mississippi valley to New Orleans .The absurdity of such a dream was not so appar-ent then as now, for few people at the Northcould realize how tremendous the task of crushingthe Confederacy was going to be. On the 1st ofNovember, having reached Springfield, Fremontmade up his mind that Price must be close byWilson’s Creek, and he prepared to attack himthere. In point of fact the Confederate generalwas at Cassville, about sixty miles distant; butbefore this had been ascertained, and while thepreparations were going on, there came an orderfrom the President removing Fremont and ap-pointing General Hunter in his place.
With all his military incapacity, Fremont had