Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/413

 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 353 around Memphis and went on Wilson's raid in Alabama and Georgia, surrendering at Gainesville, Alabama, in 1865. The Missouri troops, including the First and Second Missouri Brigades and Marma- duke 's Cavalry and the First and Second Mis- souri regiments, were everywhere recognized as among the finest soldiers of the South. General JMaury in speaking on the repulse of Rosecrans' attack, says: "The glorious First ilissouri Brigade." At one time there was a report that General Lovell, to whose negli- gence was probably due the defeat at Corinth, had spoken of Missouri troops as undisci- plined. After the Corinth campaign, the troops were reviewed by Generals Vandorn and Price in the presence of President Da- vis. Davis said : " I have attended reviews of Generals Beauregard, Bragg, A. S. and J. B. Johnson, and the old United States service, but I have never seen a finer looking body of men nor of more soldierly appearance and efficiency, nor have I ever witnessed better drill or discipline among the soldiers belong- ing to any military service than these Mis- souri soldiers." On another occasion he said : " I have never seen better fighters than Missouri troops or more gallant soldiers than General Price and his officers." The attack on Corinth was made in three di visions, the First and Second Divisions car- ried out the plan and got into town. The Third in command of General Lovell, was in- active. Among those that entered the town were the Missouri troops. General Maury, in speaking of this attack on Corinth says of the Missouri troops: "General Price looked on the disorder of his darling troops with unmitigated anguish. The big tears coursed down his bronzed face and I have never wit- nessed such a picture of mute despair and grief as his countenance wore when he looked upon the defeat of those magnificent troops; he had never before known them to fail and they had never failed to carry the lines of any enemy in tlieir front, nor did they ever to the very close of their noble career on April 9, 1865, fail to beat the troops before them. I mean no disparagement to any troops of the Confederacy when I say that the Missourians were not surpassed by any soldiers in the world. ' '