Cool,  intelligent,  wary  soldiers  were  sent  to  Memphis,  St.  Louis,
and  other  points  to  gather  up  information  and  rejoin  the  cavalry
somewhere  about  Fredericktown.  Captain  Aldridge  Corder,  at-
tached to  Shelby's  staif,  had  Memphis  assigned  to  him,  with  the


152  SHELBY    AND    HIS    MEN;    OR,

Mississippi  river  to  St.  Louis.  Newton  Hockensmith,  of  Ratlibuii's
company,  whose  slcill  and  daring  deserve  iiumortality,  penetrated  to
St.  Louis  ;  Isaac  Treadway,  a  reticent,  collected  soldier,  operated
below  Memphis ;  and  others  went  to  Rolla,  to  Pilot  Knob,  and  even
as  low  down  as  New  Madrid.  The  information  being  constantly
furnished  by  some  of  these  frequently  came  very  opportunely,  and
on  several  occasions  the  sudden  appearance  of  some  long-absent
spy  has  enabled  Shelby  to  execute  rapid  and  unlooked  for  move-
ments.
At  Patterson,  a  small  outpost  very  far  down  in  the  southeast,
there  had  been  stationed  for  some  time  a  Missouri  Federal  militia
regiment  under  Colonel  Smart,  and  also  several  independent  Home
Guard  companies,  the  most  bloody  and  murderous  of  which  was
commanded  by  a  certain  Captain  Leper.  This  outpost,  covered  by
a  detached  fort  on  a  huge  hill,  seemed  very  strong  naturally,  and
looked  ugly  and  vicious  on  its  elevated  position.  General  Marma-
duke  made  excellent  dispositions  to  surround  the  town  and  capture
its  garrison,  for  Leper,  as  every  one  knew,  was  a  goodly  prize,  and
the  rope  had  been  duly  prepared  for  the  stretching.  Shelby  was  to
approach  from  the  west,  swing  round  half  way  and  meet  Colonel
Giddings,  commanding  a  Texas  regiment,  from  the  east,  when,  the
circle  being  rendered  complete,  both  were  to  contract  their  folds
until  everything  Avas  crushed.  With  his  usual  skill  and  strategy,
Shelby  grasped  every  road  .on  his  line,  captured  every  picket-post,
and  moved  on  swiftly  and  silently  upon  the  unalarmed  garrison.
