What if the CSA had re-inforced Gen. Sterling Price at Lexington, MO?

[Borderruffian]

Originally Posted by rivrrat

Yeah and what did Jeff Davis send. Earl VanDorn, a friend of Jeff who should have never commanded any force larger than a company.

Van Dorn I think should have only been trusted to lead a Cpl.'s detail for stable call.

Johnson and Bragg both turned down the appointment prior to Van Dorns being appointed so I guess any port in a storm.

[rivrrat]

Originally Posted by Borderruffian

John Fremont IMO had more to do with it than Lyon or at least provided Lyon the enviroment to conduct his style of pacification in Missouri. Fremont launched Lyon he was the commander of the Dept.. What Lyon did he did at Fremonts pleasure.

Lyon was operating under Lincoln's favoritism. Fremont didn't become too active until after Lyon's death.

[rivrrat]

Originally Posted by Borderruffian

Richmond never intended to allow western troops to remain west of the river IMO. They thought that they could hold it with a skeleton force of regt's mustered into to CS service locally and State Guard troops like those commanded by Price. Cannon fodder for the eastern CS armies was more important.

Jeff and crew totally misread the Unions resolve to hold Missouri and the Unions willingness to maintain their troops in the west in order to due this.

And this is why the great icons of the east, Marse Robert, Stonewall, Stuart, and Davis hold very little sway over most students of the Trans-Miss. The old timers with southern sympathy felt betrayed by the southern leadership. Their icons are Price, J.O. Shelby, and it's also the reason that the Irregulars reached such iconic status.

You left out M. Jeff Thompson, the swamp fox, who commanded Shelby's Iron bragade at Westport.

[Ozark Iron John]

Originally Posted by rivrrat

You left out M. Jeff Thompson, the swamp fox, who commanded Shelby's Iron bragade at Westport.

I mentioned him earlier in this thread. It was all the Dutch could do to stay out of Jeff's way.