Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

---

[412] of the Arkansas a somewhat numerous band in order to be able to cross the line of posts placed en échelon by Blunt on this river. He attacks that of Moffat's Store, east of Fort Smith, on September 27th, and, concealing his movement under the feint of a retreat, he, on the contrary, rushes northward into the part of the State of Arkansas east of the Ozark Mountains, which the Federals have not visited for a long time. Continuing thence his march, he reaches Missouri, summons to him Coffee and another guerilla chief called Hunter, and at the head of a band which he increases from day to day he penetrates into the rich districts situated north of the Osage River. He has brought with him a few cannon, which give his band the character and importance of a small army.

It was expedient to put considerable forces promptly into the field to get the upper hand of an adversary who was beginning to become formidable. General Schofield, who was commanding in Missouri, did not lose an instant. By his orders General Brown, mustering all the militia he could mobilize around Jefferson City, marched to encounter Shelby, who was already threatening the town. The Confederate, refusing fight, pushed to the north-west, and reached the banks of the Missouri at Booneville, closely followed by Brown. Not being able to cross the river, he ascended rapidly its right bank, but he was attacked on the evening of October 12th at the crossing of a small stream, the Salt Fork, which empties into the river about eight miles below Arrow Rock. Fearing, doubtless, fatigue for his soldiers, Shelby waited for daylight, and the fight, resumed on the morning of the 13th, ended with his defeat; he lost one gun and about a hundred men. His band, severed in two in this engagement, could not continue its depredations, and had nothing to contemplate but retreat. But Schofield was hopeful of cutting it off. On October 9th he had directed General McNeil—he who had so gallantly fought in Eastern Missouri—to start with all the forces he could bring to Lebanon and those he would gather in the vicinity, to prevent Shelby from reaching Arkansas. The task was a difficult one, for the latter, though closely pressed by Brown's troops, had the choice of way, and the Federals could not wait for him everywhere with sufficient forces. At last, McNeil was informed that