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him.
He suddenly turned his face southward, and, eluding
Blunt while covered with darkness, he fled back into
Arkansas with very little loss, hotly pursued to the borders of that State.
Missouri was now somewhat relieved, but the
Confederates were gathering in force in
Arkansas, where they were joined by conscripts from
Southern Missouri, and a large number of troops from
Texas.
Their entire number was estimated to be fifty thousand at the middle of September, with
General T. C. Hindman1 in chief command, assisted by
Generals Rains,
Parsons,
Cooper,
McBride, and others.
So threatening was this gathering, that
Schofield took the field in person, and
General Curtis succeeded him
in command of the District of Missouri.
Schofield had at this time, at and near
Springfield, over ten thousand troops, of whom eight thousand were available for active operations, after providing means for keeping open his communications.
This was called the
Army of the Frontier. Of these about five thousand were cavalry.
He had also sixteen pieces of artillery, with a complement of men and horses.
With these he moved toward
Arkansas, with the knowledge that a considerable body of the foe was on his immediate front.
General Salomon led the advance of over four thousand men. His vanguard was attacked at
Newtonia,
when he moved forward with his whole force and joined in the struggle.
After a contest which lasted all day, he was defeated, but with little loss, and retreated to
Sarcoxie, covered by the brigade of
Colonel Hall.
Schofield pressed on to
Sarcoxie, where he was joined by
General Blunt, and the combined forces, ten thousand strong, pushed forward to attack the
Confederates at
Newtonia, whose number was estimated at about fifteen thousand.
Blunt and
Totten approached at different points, when the
Confederates, who were illy equipped, fled without striking a blow, and were chased about thirty miles into
Arkansas.
Schofield moved cautiously on, keeping his communications well guarded, and on the 17th of October he was on the old battle-ground of
Pea Ridge.
The Confederates were divided, a part, under
General Cooper, having gone westward to
Maysville, for the purpose of cutting the communications with
Fort Scott, while the main body, under the immediate command of
Rains, with about three thousand cavalry in the rear to mask the movement, were retreating toward
Huntsville, in Madison County.
Blunt was sent after
Cooper, while
Schofield, with his main army, made a forced march over the
White River Mountains toward
Huntsville, resting eight miles from that village, where
Rains had encamped the day before.
Blunt made a hard night's march, and on the morning of the 22d of October attacked
Cooper at old
Fort Wayne, near
Maysville, captured his four guns, routed his men, and drove them in disorder toward
Fort Gibson, in the
Indian Territory.
Schofield did not even get sight of the foe at
Huntsville, for on his arrival there he found they were in full retreat over the mountains toward
Ozark, with a determination to avoid a battle until expected re-enforcements should arrive.
He pursued them some distance, when he turned northward, and marched to