Volume 5, Part 2

Volume 5, Part 2 covers the latter half of September 1861, as military conflict and political tensions deepened across Missouri in the wake of the First Battle of Lexington. The volume centers heavily on the fall of Lexington on September 20, where Union forces under Col. James A. Mulligan surrendered to Sterling Price, marking a significant victory for the secessionists. At the same time, John C. Fremont continued to clash with Abraham Lincoln over his controversial martial law order, learning of the president's required revisions through public reports. Through extensive correspondence, the volume reveals growing frustration among Union leaders over shortages of men, arms, and supplies, as well as mounting concern that Missouri was being left dangerously exposed.

Beyond the battlefield, the volume captures the widening scope of the war effort, from naval coordination along the western rivers to internal disputes within Union leadership. Ulysses S. Grant reports on troop movements and supply issues in Kentucky and Missouri, while officials debate the wisdom of diverting forces away from the state. Fremont faces criticism from subordinates and political rivals alike, including tensions with Francis P. Blair Jr., even as he prepares to take the field personally after Lexington's fall. Letters from soldiers, officers, and civilians alike highlight the harsh realities of the campaign-unpaid troops, unreliable weapons, and uncertain leadership-while accounts from figures such as Fremont wife, Jessie, underscore the disorder and urgency gripping the Western Department. Together, these documents present a vivid picture of a state and a military command under strain, struggling to regain control amid an expanding and increasingly complex war.