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Chapters
19-24
CHAPTER XIX.
THIS bold, successful
blow struck at Clarendon, and the comparative ease with which Shelby fought and
eluded a much larger body of the enemy, inspired the recruits with great ardor
and ambition-and this blow was only the commencement of a series, each one to be
more brilliant and successful than the other.
Colonel McCray, who
had been dispatched to the Mississippi river, prior to the attack upon the
gunboats, for small arms in transit from the Cis-Mississippi Department, made
the journey in safety, after suffering great hardships, and returned without the
loss of a man, bringing back about one thousand muskets. The pledges of his
proclamation were now being redeemed by Shelby, and it was not long before every
man had a good gun and a good supply of ammunition.
Ater the capture of
the Queen City, and after the battle with the Tyler and her consorts, a man
presented himself to Shelby's picket line, weak, emaciated-but wary and
defiant-his clothes dripping with moisture and covered by the mire and the sand
of the swamps. Not recognized by the officer on duty, he was sent into camp.
When the dirt was washed from his face, and his long lank hair combed out, he
proved to be Captain Arthur McCoy, before spoken of as one of the most daring,
debonair, heroic scouters and fighters in the whole brigade. His escape had been
romantic, and in every way characteristic of the indomitable Confederate.
Captured several months before, on an expedition toward the Arkansas river,
because hi's horse had been shot dead under him, after his five men had fought
seventy-eight Federals for eleven miles, he had been carried first to Pine
Bluff, where Clayton, although a Kansan,
treated him
soldierly; thence to Little Rock, where the penitentiary was too good ·for him,
had finally arrived at Duvall's Bluff, on his way to Alton, and maybe that dark,
mysterious death suffered by so many. . The roar of Collins' guns, which had
shattered the life out of the Queen City and the fight out of the Tyler, told to
McCoy's quick ears the tale of Shelby's attack, and the rumors about the town,
and the hasty mustering of the garrison, told equally well that the attack had
been successful. He determined at every hazard to escape, and was greatly
favored by some friends on board the boat upon which he had been confined, and
the mention of whose names here can do no good. The time for action came. He
stood on the
hurricane roof of the
boat in earnest conversation with an engineer -his friend and his accomplice.
Suddenly the engineer exclaimed to McCoy, who had dressed himself in the working
suit of one of the hands of the boat:
"I tell you we can
not move from the wharf unless the thing is fixed"-mentioning the name of some
part of the machinery. "And I tell you," answered McCoy, "that the d--d thing
can't
be fixed until you
send to the Little Rock foundry." "I know better," replied the engineer. "Come
with me and I will prove it."
The guard, calmly
pacing his beat during the time of the conversation, had heard every word, and
naturally enough supposing they were two engineers disputing about some
machinery needing repair, scarcely noticed them as they went below. Quick as
lightning McCoy descended through the wheel-house and into the water with II
noiseless motion. Floating quietly along, his head barely enough above the waves
for respiration, he passed the lowest boat, the lookouts on the batteries,
around a bend in the river, and at last beyond sight, without his escape being
noticed. At length, wearied from incessant exertion, he drew up on the nearest
shore for rest llnd observation, when, horror of horrors, a grim iron-clad lay
quietly at anchor about three hundred yards below. To go back was simply
impossible, to take to the woods seemed madness, as White river spread out ten
miles wide at this point, and the bottoms on
either shore were a
wilderness of water-so McCoy gathered a largo bundle of dry canes, launched them
very quietly, and boldly floated past the gunboat in safety, and for eight miles
further, until he reached the shelter of his old ark, worn out, haggard, and
exhausted.
Three days in camp
furnished all the rest he required, and after this time had been spent lazily,
it was ascertained that in the Mississippi river about thirty miles above
Helena, a large steamboat, the Mariner, loaded with coal for the fleet, stood
hard and fast aground, and that by a little wading she might be ·captured.
Taking seventy-five picked men, he made a forced march, surprised the guard of
five men on the bank watching the steamer, waded waist deep two hundred yards to
her, and finally gave boat and cargo to the flames sending the officers and crew
on board to the commanding general at Helena.
After McCoy returned
with his spoils in the shape of two or more dozen fine carbines and revolvers,
Captain Langhorne was sent south toward Searcy to look after a large Federal
force coming from Little Rock overland, strong enough, too, to work mischief.
This force was met near the little town in question, under a Missouri Federal
Colonel named Guigher, and of the 12th regiment, probably, who took but few
prisoners from the Confederates-although this made but small difference with
Langhorne. Guigher's advance, consisting of four squadrons, was routed by
Langhorne with only thirty men, driven in furiously upon the main body, having
lost thirteen killed and seven captured. Langhorne in turn had to give ground,
but it took a regiment to make him do it, and then it was so badly done, that he
got three more prisoners and brought them with his first seven back to Shelby's
camp near Jacksonport, losing, however, his junior Second Lieutenant, Columbus
White, one of the most promising and enterprising young officers in the brigade.
Exposing himself to imminent danger, he was surrounded, shot, and finally
captured-but recovered at last from his wound, though not in time to join his
command again.
The circumstances of
his capture attest the chivalry of his disposition: The little squad under him
was pressed greatly, though fighting manfully and well. Jim Crow Childs, brave,
cool, and determined, but badly mounted, was in danger of being overtaken, as
were the Kritzer brothers, John and Martin, splendid fellows and unsurpassed as
soldiers. Lieutenant White halted in the rear alone to check the Federal
advance, and to gain for his men time that the exhausted horses might reach
timber. White's own horse was powerful in speed and strength, and he believed he
could save himself after saving the others. Firmly planted in the middle of the
lane, he awaited the onset and fought the oncoming Federals singly and with
conspicuous bravery for a brief period. His horse fell at last, shot beneath
him; he was down and bleeding, and the tide swept around and past him. Yet his
perilous bravado ccomplished
its mission, and his
comrades were safe and well ahead of pursuit.
Everything went on
well now. Six thousand recruits at least were in camps of instruction, and every
Federal had been driven from the district, except those holding the fortified
positions of Duvall's Bluff and Little Rock. McCray, Dobbins, Jackman, and
Freeman, had each fine brigades, while additional regiments were in process of
formation.
CHAPTER XX.
II Now whitt would
'st thou do, good my squire,
That rides beside my
rein,
Wert thou Glenallan's
earl to-day,
And I were Roland
Cheyne?
My horse should ride
through their ranks 8ae rude,
As he would through
the moorland fern,
And ne'er let the
gentle Norman bluid
Grow cauld for the
Highland kerne.
A WEEK after
Langhorne's foray, the 10th Illinois Cava.lry came gayly up to Searcy as it had
been in the habit of doing periodically for at least two months before Shelby
arrived in the neighborhood, and sent a challenge this time for anyone regiment
in the brigade to corne down. and fight it. The poor fellows were brave enough,
but so unwise and so little used to warfare. Gordon was selected to maintain the
honor of his command, and he took with him Williams and his advance, with a.
detachment from Jackman's brigade as seconds in the affair-just the simplest and
easiest thing on earth to be adjusted. One heavy night march, and no more. At
early daylight preceding the morning of his departure from the camp near
Jacksonport, Colonel Frank Gordon, led by a trusty guide, burst wholly unlooked
for and terrible as a destroyer-full upon the unwatched camp of the 10th
Illinois. The four sleepy foot guards died at their posts like men, and their
comrades, many of them in deep slumber and wrapped in blankets, made scarcely
any resistance. Only two companies, bivouacked away from the rest of the
regiment, fought or formed, and this resistance was 80 feeble, and so
hesitating, that it simply called down destruction. Almost every man, surely
every horse, gun, and pistol, fell into Gordon's hands. It was one of the most
complete surprises and captures of the war, and the poor Illinois men looked
very woe-begone two days afterward
when they were
marched under guard into Jacksonport.
As Company 0 charged
home, led by the noble and devoted Captain Judge Shindler, a fair-looking
Federal sprang from amid his horses' feet· and shouted quarter. Judge reined up,
dropped the barrel of his revolver and said: "Go to the rear-1 take your word
for surrender." The Federal made no reply to this, but threw off his cap and
down upon his shoulders fell a great wave of dark hairtresses, and from his feet
there were cast away the rough cavalry boots, until he stood before the
wondering eyes of Captain Shindler as bright a Yankee girl as ever wore in her
bosom the red, white, and blue tri-color. She bowed low, smiled sweetly enough
to send the blood coursing through his veins like the sap in the maple-trees,
and pleaded: "You have my lover prisoner. Please release him, and permit us to
go to Little Rock."
Captain Judge
Shindler could not be surpassed in Shelby's division as a reliable,
conscientious, daring officer, but to his eternal honor be it spoken he had none
of Joseph's attributes. He made his best Waverly bow, held the stirrup of his
fair conqueror as she mounted to ride away with her lover, and sent Bob Hagood,
as gallant as his captain, and Sam Van Metre to see them through the lines. Bob
did his devoir as a true knight-in Shelby's division he would not have dared to
do otherwise-and came back with a midnight tress of hair and a soft message for
the sighing captain.
The surprise, because
of its completeness, gave the Federal commander at Duvall's Bluff the idea that
his detachment had been betrayed by some of the citizens of the town of Searcy,
and he threatened them with extermination, conflagration, and many other
horrible things. General Shelby informed him very coolly that an "eye for an eye
and a tooth for a. tooth" would be demanded for. every injury inflicted upon
those guiltless people. The threat had the desired effect, and Searcy escaped
its promised fate.
Comfortable and cozy
hospitals for the sick had long ago been established in the pleasant little
river town of Jacksonport, and they may have been in them some dozen or so
indisposed soldiers, suffering principally from ague and diarrhea; yet, as small
as the number was, the chaplain of Shanks' regiment, "Uncle Bob Rennick," as he
was familiarly called, visited them unceasingly, and administered apostolic
consolation as well as physical consolation for Uncle Bob was a preacher, a
soldier, a scouter, and a fighter, who believed all were doing God's service in
the struggle for the South, and that every Federal killed was only a sacrifice
required by divine justice.
Well, in one of the
hospitals there lay on his soldier's bunk a long, hatchet-faced Missourian, who
had been a month down with diarrhea, and who was so thin and emaciated that he
seemed a real skeleton. Uncle Bob, who had reserved all his religious diplomacy
for the last, took a seat by his bedside and commenced: "How are you to-day, my
friend."
"No better-wus and
wus."
"Ah! I am afraid you
don't pray."
"No, I don't. I don't
know how-I never larn't that."
"How long have you
had this diarrhea?"
" Ever sence
roastin-ear time."
" Well, well, you
will get better-you must cheer up-you must have hope and wrestle with the Lord
in prayer."
Here the dying man's
thin form half raised itself from the bed; his blue, watery eyes expanded, and a
smile of ineffable incredulity passed over all his wan and sickly features.
Throwing down the blanket and exposing two legs shrunken and wasted to a thread
almost, and looking Uncle Bob full in the face, he said: "Rassell -with the
Lord, did you say-rassell with the Lord-and with these here legs-why he'd flirt
me to h-ll the very first pass!"
Never before in his
whole life had Uncle Bob been so completely ·nonplussed. His quotations were
forgotten, his balmy sentences mixed with worldly things, and the solemnity of
his voice and look quivering with suppressed mirth. Let us all hope in charity
that as the poor fellow "couId not" rassell" with his attenuated legs, he
escaped the fall he so much dreaded.
To three preachers
the Confederates of Missouri owe much-the Reverend John R. Bennett, the Reverend
J. M. Minchell, and the Reverend Robert Rennick. Mr. Bennett had the keen,
aggressive intellect of Paul, and varied his labors by fighting a little and
preaching a little. He believed wonderfully in prayer and wonderfully in
gunpowder, too. His was the practical faith of that grim old Cromwell, who
shouted loud over the gathering waters; "Put your trust in God, my boys, but
keep your powder dry!" Mr. Bennett held up his manly, steadfast hands and
blessed Shelby's company on the eve of its reorganization into the Confederate
service, and that prayer was surely heard in heaven and registered there, for
the company expanded into a division and its captain saved a beaten army from
destruction.
Mr. Rennick and Mr.
Minchell were with Shelby's division from the beginning to the end, and
preached, prayed, encouraged, exhorted, and fought. "Uncle Bob" was an excellent
skirmisher in battle, and his eyes were as steady when looking through the
sights of a rifle as when the bowed congregation was listening in respectful
homage to the pure, earnest Christian pouring out his whole soul in devout
supplications to the great Jehovah. A cool Christian was brother Minchell, too,
and went right up to the front as brave as the best of them. Uncle Bob's
peculiarities were known, and all had some joke for him, the most rascally one,
however, being perpetrated by Collins' battery: Shelby, deeming Collins' company
in need of a little spiritual consolation, asked Uncle Bob to preach for them.
He did so earnestly and fervently. Silence reigned supreme-the auditors appeared
under some spell more potent than eloquence more profound than religion. The
preacher finished admiringly, and congratulated Captain Collins upon the
remarkable behavior of his graceless battery. "Give the devil his due, Uncle
Bob," replied the mischievous Collins." the men have been an hour asleep."
It was again
determined to pay Clarendon a visit and try another grapple with the gunboats,
although news came from one or two directions that the Federals were preparing
an expedition at Des Arc to get into Shelby's rear, break up his camps of
instruction, destroy his reserve ammunition train, and force him to return
south" for additional supplies. visiting long enough for the movement, and no
blue-coats appearing, Shelby concentrated his old brigade suddenly one dark,
"damp night, crossed Cache river at three o'clock in the morning, Bayou De View
the next night, and then away for White river, this time twelve miles below
Clarendon.
Harvey Richardson, a
notorious bear hunter, scouter, sheriff, and the man of that entire country upon
whom the Confederates looked as a mentor and guide, was the pilot-and a better
one never watched the moss on the trees nor tracked the great black bears, when
the deep snows came,
II Through tangled
junipers-beds of reeds,
And many a fen where
the serpent feeds."
Through the vast,
miasmatic solitude of a great wide bottom, he led Shelby by no road, but with
unerring skill. The scouts had reached the river for twelve miles above and
below to report whenever a vessel should pass ascending or descending. Collins'
battery had toiled through the cane and the cottonwoods to within two miles of
the position selected, when swift horsemen galloped up and told how three
gunboats and three thousand men were advancing directly from Des Arc to Shelby's
reserve camp near Jacksonport.
It was a trying
moment. Two transports and one iron-clad were reported as coming down by the
scouts above, and their capture was easy and almost certain; but if the
ammunition trains were lost~ everything was lost. Shelby decided the question in
ten minutes by Richardson's watch-and in ten minutes more the countermarching
brigade was hurrying away to Augusta.
It was well, indeed,
this decision was taken, and it was better, indeed, that never rein was drawn
until the next evening at Augusta.
The expedition from
Des Arc proved more formidable than was at first supposed. Reaching Augusta
unmolested on transports, the commander disembarked his troops, determined to
press on twelve miles above by land, and seize and destroy everything within his
reach, cross by Shelby's pontoon bridge, destroy it, and thus have a swollen
river between his forces and danger. It was well conceived, but badly executed.
Shelby was upon him before he had heard of his retracing his steps, and although
the brigade had marched sixty miles without halting and without eating, it was
thrown immediately upon the Federals at Augusta. About half of them, however,
had re-embarked on the transports, for when Shelby reached a point within about
five miles of the town, his advance had been signaled by some negroes, and the
warning was heeded well.
Sending Williams
three miles below Augusta to ambush the crowded steamboats as they retreated,
Shelby charged the town, drove everything before him into the river, or upon the
boats, which deserted many of the unfortunate soldiers on land, and hurried down
stream in disgraceful haste. Fifty-five lay dead in the streets and on the
wharf: thirty-eight wounded were cared for in a large house, and the drowned
were never seen, and therefore were never counted. Seventy-eight prisoners were
also secured, and sent afterward to General Steele.
Colonel Williams
reached his place of ambush in time, and hid his one hundred men so completely
that not a musket-barrel glistened', nor a gray cap peeped above the copsewood.
The commander of the Federals thinking. perhaps, that Shelby's whole force had
engaged him in the town, took no precautions whatever against a hidden enemy,
and actually passed within ten feet of the bluff: bank behind which lay Williams
and his one hundred men-the roofs, decks, and guards of the steamers blue with
densely packed soldiers. Two hot, deadly streams of lead leaped full into the
human masses, and rent them in ghastly gaps and apertures. Men unhurt sprang
frantically in the river; others were crushed beneath the feet of their
comrades, and many poor wounded fellows were drowned, because an arm or leg had
been disabled, making it impossible to swim after falling overboard. Williams
followed the boats five miles and poured in many additional volleys, but none so
deadly as the two first. It was reported by the Federals themselves afterward,'
although it is not vouched for here-that one hundred and thirty-seven men were
missing from the three boats on their arrival at Des Arc.
Thus the great secret
expedition ended, nor ever again was the attempt made to destroy anything Shelby
might stowaway in his rear for safe keeping. Six days after the Federals
returned to Des Arc, fifty picked men were sent to approach Duvall's Bluff as
closely as possible, and learn what its garrison might be about. These merry
madcaps under command of Lieutenant Fulkerson, of Williams' old company,
approached from the side opposite the fortifications, encountered a scouting
party of twenty Federals, charged, killed and captured
every man after a
long chase, attacked the Bluff and its three thousand defenders-the river
between them, however-and maintained a deadly fire of fifty Sharpe's rifles for
two hours, until a regiment was crossed above and below the point, and their
escape endangered. At one time during the fight, the Federals opened upon
Fulkerson with six heavy guns from the earthworks and the enfilading fire of two
gunboats, all of which could not drive him and his men from their cover of
cottonwoods. He returned in safety, after swimming White river twice, and
brought back eleven prisoners, seventeen carbines, and twenty-three horses.
This daring dash
stirred up the garrison furiously. Five thousand men were crossed over and moved
out, perhaps, ten miles in the direction of Jacksonport, when contrary counsels
prevailed, and they went back behind their fortifications without a fight.
Successful in every
encounter, Shelby now determined to strike a blow more daring than any other,
and light a martial spirit in his recruits that would blaze into a general
conflagration. Clustering all above and below Helena, were innumerable United
States Government plantations-that is, the extensive farms of loyal Southern men
who had been driven off, that imported Boston harlots might live at pleasure
with the negroes they pretended to teach, and that orthodox Yankee officers
might work the same negroes, ostensibly for this same United States
Government-but in reality using them for their own benefit, and making the
plantations grand depots from which to ship cotton, furniture, jewelry, and
every article that would bring, down east, a ten cent postage stamp. Well,
clustering around Helena, as we have said, were these filthy, somber spots on
the pure, proud bosom of Phillips county, where lived many of the noblest and
best Confederates on earth, and Shelby determined to wipe them out clean and
clear as a saber cut. Colonel Gordon received marching orders at four o'clock
one evening-at
four the next morning
his squadrons were in motion. With the marching orders came others equally as
bionic, and read somehow thus:
"Find Colonel
Dobbins, report to him, and; united, both of you will strike simultaneously the
United States Government plantations in the neighborhood of Helena. You may have
hard fighting, and it is expected that you will do hard fighting; and whatever
you do, leave not one stone upon another."
Gordon found Dobbins
near the little town of Trenton, about twenty miles south from Helena, reported
to him as ordered and both camped there for the night. The next day early an
advance of Federals from the city, numbering one thousand four hundred, was
encountered at the crossing of Big creek, a large country stream running
directly across the road. One thousand of this force were negroes, commanded by
a Swedish or Norwegian officer, who spoke but little English, but, perhaps,
splendid African-at any rate, he never spoke either language again after this
fight. Gordon, in advance, charged squarely across the creek and drove in the
leading Federal squadrons with severe loss, and pressing on with his usual
impetuosity, encountered the entire force in line of battle, and protected by a
pile of logs made into fortifications months before. Gordon and Dobbins both
dismounted their commands
and moved immediately
upon the enemy. Twice the negroes, by a sudden and almost uncontrollable
impulse, threw down their guns and attempted to run for Helena, distant about
six miles, but were rallied and brought back by the heroic exhortations and
examples of their officers, who insisted that everyone would be killed unless
they fought to the death-a fact no one among the Confederates doubted for a
moment. The Federals had two pieces of artillery, with "Dubuque" on the
caissons, and these two cannon were well served by the whites and gave much
trouble. The Confederates fell fast as they went over the open plain below, and
faster still as they clambered up the rough, steep hill, crowned by its long,
low line of logs, canopied by powder clouds, and dotted thick through the smoke
by the black, shining faces of the poor negroes.
When near enough at
last, a close, deadly fire was poured in, and they dashed on through the gloom
with revolvers. But the Federals were wary and determined, too, and broke away
from their redoubt in full retreat toward Helena, leaving about half their arms,
two caissons, four wagons, and all their baggage behind, with eighty killed,
among which was the colonel commanding, one lieutenant colonel, one major, and
seven captains, including the captain of the artillery. Dobbins pursued on foot
as fast as possible, until Gordon mounted his men and relieved him. A desperate
race was maintained to within sight of Helena, and one hundred more negroes and
whites were killed and wounded. Halting until Dobbins came up,
and exchanging the
last few words of direction, the two columns separated again upon II. common
work of destruction.
Two miles below
Helena, Gordon struck the first plantation belonging to Uncle Sam. It seemed,
too, that Uncle Sam had become doating in his old days, because there was the
neatest little cottage ever seen, vine-crowned and rose-embowered, for a
Massachusetts "school-marrn," named-so Sergeant Parnell-said- " Harriet Beecher
Stowe, jr!'-but one thing can be spoken in her favor she was much better looking
than the original Harriet, not half so black in appearance, totally devoid of
that sour, pious, painful expression so characteristic of the Boston
hermaphrodite. In addition to this pretty little cottage and its pretty little
bird, there were long rows of less assuming ones, where the enfranchised lived,
and ea.t, and slept-dreaming their first dreams of unalloyed freedom never to be
dreamed again in Arkansas. Suspiciously near the cottage of Miss Stowe, jr.,
there were the chapel and the parsonage
of the preacher, who
might have been named" Henry 'Ward Beecher, jr.," upon the reasoning of Sergeant
Parnell. Gordon's grim regiment circled around Uncle Sam's doomed paradise, and
Eve saw that she was naked and hid herself. The little woolly heads crowded
thick about the doors and windows, and looked on in curious and frightened
wonderment. The preacher arranged the folds of his white cravat, whiter than his
eyeballs turned heavenward, ere they set forever. The armed guards came running
from the cottonfields to never watch another confiscated estate, and the
Government store-keepers surrendered the keys of the doors that ,would never be
locked again. Ready! Five hundred rough hands, red with the blood of the
morning's battle, plied five hundred torches to ,cotton, houses, plows, harrows,
dry goods, negro quarters, storehouses, and everything that eye could rest upon
bearing any impress of the United States Government. It was a scene of stern and
unpitied desolation. The flames arose high in the balmy Southern air, and the
black smoke, in great volumes, blew into the very eyes of the lookouts upon the
parapets of Helena. Half an hour sufficed for the work of destruction, and the
regiment spurred away for another theater.
The second plantation
had the same acquisitions, varied only by the uses made of them. Perry Catron,
one of the old brigade's Ajaxes, with a heart as big as his body, and a supply
of 'life and fun as big as both, entered the cottage of this negro teacher and
found her at a piano singing and playing, "Do they miss me at Home?" She was a
short, fat, dumpy thing, and Perry thought they did miss her about meal time,
and most everybody knew that she would soon miss her piano-which had been stolen
for her express and pious use from a neighboring plantation-and also her neat
little school-room; and that the assiduous attentions of her devoted scholars
would cheer this pure and disinterested" invader" no more.
The third plantation
had news of the approach, and the male inhabitants all hurried into the church,
carried in beds and blankets, darkened the windows, ran up a yellow flag, and
stationed an old decrepid man at the door, whose looks contained the memories of
fifty epidemics. Thinking all was not right, Lieutenant Colonel Blackwell, with
a squad of men, rode up to the door and asked what it contained. Sinking his
voice to a confidential whisper, and working his face into concentrated
expressions of terror, the old man slowly murmured, "Small-pox."
"Bad 1" asked
Blackwell, a queer look in his bold eyes. "Dreadful, massa-sartin. Ten buried
last night." "How many to-day, uncle 1" "Dunno, massr -we buries after dark."
"In their uniforms,
uncle?"
"What, massa ? We
poor niggers-do n't know much."
"Well," said
Blackwell, drawing a long sigh, "it won't do for anyone to enter this house-the
small-pox is so bad-unless some of you have been afflicted with it."
"Why, Colonel," spoke
up Varner, of Crispin's company, one of the deadliest and the driest soldiers in
the regiment, "I've had the small-pox three times, and I rather fancy it, it
tickles so, and by
your orders I believe I'd like to get it again."
"Go ahead," said
Blackwell, "and count how many are to be buried to-night."
Varner entered with a
pistol in each hand, stripped back the blankets from the nearest bed, and
there-sure enough-was as pretty a Federal uniform inclosing as stout a soldier
as Varner had ever seen in battle line. From the fifteen beds there were brought
forth fifteen similar patients, and it was difficult to tell which seemed. the
most surprised, Blackwell or the Federals, that is-if we take his counterfeited
fright for real earnest. This kind of work went on uninterruptedly for ten
miles, and every plantation laid as bare and black under the sunlight as a
prairie after the fall fires sweep over it.
Colonel Dobbins also
fulfilled well his orders, and as Phillips county contained his home and the
homes of most of his men, there were but few memorials left in their line of
march to show how prosperous had-been the occupation of this lovely land by the
Federals.
It will be good to
know in after life, when the stories are told of Sheridan's desolation, of
Sherman's march with fire and sword, of Rosecrans' death order in Missouri, that
now and then some Confederate officer rose above the trammels of red tape and
fought the devil with fire. General Shelby was one of those who looked upon the
contest as a gigantic war waged for civilization, for social position, for
honor, manhood, property, and he constantly advocated the employment of all
resources and the resort to any means necessary to check the vindictive warfare
of the enemy, and teach them that fire was an element capable of being used in
defense as well as in aggression.
Tired from incessant
destruction, and having in fact riot much more work to do, Gordon gathered up
his regiment and marched back in sight again of Helena, bearing to Shelby's camp
hundreds of negroes, mules, wagons, and enormous amounts of clothing and
supplies. The negroes were returned to their masters, and the Federal prisoners
were sent to General Steele, at Little Rock. The commander at Helena, two' days
after the Confederates retired, sallied out with great pomp and display, visited
the desolated plantations, wept perhaps a few sympathetic tears with the
schoolmistresses, swore terribly that blood should be shed for the day's work,
and then quietly returned to his fortifications.
Before closing the
record of the "Plantation Raid" it may be well to narrate an incident
occurring-so ludicrous and yet so really in earnest that but few of the actors
will ever forget it. A
young mulatto girl
came to Ben Bowdry, one of Gordon's keenest, bravest soldiers, with her dark
eyes swimming in tears and in great agitation and excitement: "Master," she
said, "I know you are a Southern man and therefore a gentleman, and I want you
to help me out of a scrape."
"What can I do for
you?" asked Ben, interested in her grief and really sympathizing with her-for
she was pretty and well formed.
"Make that white man
marry me," was the answer, as she pointed to a neat, trim, sanctified
individual, with irreproachable pantaloons and a spotless cravat.
"Marry you, Dinah-and
for what? are you engaged."
" We was engaged,
master-but he's fooled me."
" Ah! poor thing,"
said Ben, "and what did he after he fooled you."
"Called me a d-d
nigger."
"What, the preacher?"
"Yes, sir-the
preacher-they are different from our preachers, master. They say a nigger is as
good as a white man-heap of them much better-and he told me he would marry me,
take me up Norf with him, and make me as big a lady as the white folks-but he's
fooled me, sure," and great sobs choked her further utterance.
Ben took one long,
searching look at the suppliant; came to the conclusion that she was really in
distress, and then made his plans as rapidly as he used to circumvent the enemy
on the skirmish line.
Calling Tyler Floyd,
Pack Bowdry, Will Fell, Varner, Will Moorman, Jeb Plattenburg, Tom Ustick, At
Persinger, and a dozen other young, reckless and daring spirits, he told them
quietly the girl's story, and suggested they should take the preacher a hundred
yards or so away from Gordon's sight and force him to marry the victim of his
teachings. The proposition was hailed with shouts of glee, and two of the party
immediately waited upon him to say they needed his presence for a few moments
beyond earshot of the regiment. The guilty scoundrel believed it a plan to
murder him, and he plead manfully for his life as he went to his destiny but
rallied and grew impudent when he stood face tu face with his victim, and began
to understand the intentions of his captors
Ben Bowdry spoke
first-very calmly, and dreadfully in earnest. "Mr. Pomeroy," this was the
preacher's name-Goliah Pomeroy" you have seduced a young and innocent girl by
promises of marriage; you have cast her aside after your unholy passions were
satiated and cursed and abused her. Will you marry her? yes or no."
" See here, misters,"
answered the precious hypocrite, "it is not exactly fair for you Southern people
to make a white man marry a 'nigger '-whatever he may have done."
"This comes with an
extremely poor grace from your lips, Mr. Pomeroy, when it is remembered that for
ten years you have been preaching the equality of the races, and for the last
year putting your preaching into practice by eating, sleeping, and associating
with stolen negroes on a stolen plantation."
The devil and the
Puritans are argumentative, and the Reverend Goliath unbuttoned the two lowest
buttons of his vest, drew up his pantaloons, which by the way, were faultless in
cut and cloth, and began to argue his position.
Ben stopped him
short-rudely, perhaps-but convincingly. "You have five minutes, sir, to make up
your mind. It had been our intention to hang you as we have the rest of your
fellow-workers in this moral vineyard, but out of respect for the young colored
girl, we are willing to spare your life upon condition that you marry and treat
her honorably and kindly. Five minutes, Mr. Pomeroy -close round him, boys!"
Then the wild
Confederates formed a circle around the now frightened parson-he the center of
the group, very pale and perspiring profusely.
"Two minutes more;"
growled Pack Bowdry, gently unbuttoning the flap of his revolver, "I propose we
shoot him as many times as he has letters in his name. It may keep his worthy
relations from giving
the coming Pomeroys less unpronounceable cognomens."
"He should be shot,
anyhow, for being called Goliah," suggested Seb Plattenburg. "Let me be his
David," pleaded Varner.
"Marry her! " shouted
Tyler Floyd, "or by the God you have mocked and forsworn, I will kill you with
my own hand."
" One minute more,"
softly whispered Ben, showing his fine, white teeth, and motioning those behind
the worthy divine to stand a little to one side as he shot.
"Oh! gentlemen,"
shrieked the horrified Pomeroy, "don't kill me-for God's sake, don't kill me-I
am not ready to die yet. I will do anything on earth-I wiII marry her-send for a
preacher- I'm ready-quite ready, gentlemen."
"Brother Persinger,
proceed with the ceremony," said Ben; and At Persinger stepped solemnly from the
outer edge of the circle, book in hand, and a pious frown on his ungodly face.
The lovers joined hands,
At repeated such of
the marriage service as he remembered in deep, solemn tones, and wound up
finally with the decided declaration pronounced over man and wife. The really
proud, pleased girl smiled gratitude through her tears, and the wretched Pomeroy
squirmed and twisted, and hummed and hawed, but the pitiless soldiers held him
to his duty, and made him give a loud and positive assent to every question
requiring it. "Now kiss your injured wife," commanded Ben Bowdry, after the last
words had been pronounced by the Reverend Mr. Persinger, and the girl put up two
full, pleading lips to his own with a smack heard above the laughter of the
witnesses. "Very well, Mr. Pomeroy," continued Bcn, "you have acted more like a
sensible man than I gave you credit for, and I would fain offer a little piece
of advice before separating: This girl is much too good for you, although your
skin is the whitest and
your speech the most
cultivated. She will be an ornament to the society of your friends and relations
in the North, taking you as an example, and I would advise you, if not satisfied
with the way ir which rebels tie a knot, to have the ceremony performed to yow
liking as soon as possible; but remember one thing-and from what you have seen
of us you will believe it, I think-if we hear of your treating her unkindly or
with harshness, and if any of us can ever lay hands upon you again-your last
sermon on earth will be preached this side of eternity. Be wise in time."
The bugle here
sounded a recall, and the delighted bride followed her deliverers to their
horses and bade them farewell with a simple, childish eagerness characteristic
of the race. Sure enough, about: two weeks afterward, an announcement of the
marriage of the Reverend Goliah Pomeroy and Miss Dinah Hoskins was duly
chronicled in the Helena papers.
Shelby was too busily
engaged with preparations for another expedition to laugh over, or even listen
to, Gordon's recital of this forced marriage. Events were crowding thick over
the military horizon, and every breeze from the South came bearing softly the
pleasant notes of activity and preparation. About the time of Gordon's dash
around Helena, Major Lawrence had been sent through manifold dangers of "field
and flood" to urge upon the authorities of Camden and Shreveport the necessity
of making a bold, desperate and gigantic expedition into Missouri. Failing in
this, Major Lawrence was instructed to ask that permission be given General
Shelby alone, who intended and had mapped out a campaign which was to crown
. the edifice of
renown he had reared after a long year of bloody and ceaseless activity.
Lawrence communicated
freely through the trusty couriers accompanying him, and General Price sent
hasty word that on or about a certain day-the 18th of July-he would cross the
Little Rock and Duvall's Bluff Railroad mid-way between the two points with his
army, and that General Shelby must attack the line heavily, make a strong
diversion to enable the long ammunition-train to get over unmolested, and
destroy at the same time as much of the iron upon the road as possible. The
orders from Price came one nigh' about twelve o'clock, and the next evening at
two o'clock, Jackman's, McCray's, and Dobbins' brigades had been concentrated
from a radius of twenty miles and were marching to the work mapped out.
The second day's
march brought a view of the beautiful green prairie, streaked by its one long
sinewy railroad track, dotted with little fortifications, and checkered all over
by groups of mowers gathering hay for the winter stalls of Steele's stabled
cavalry. To get this airy glimpse of nature's unfettered empire, Shelby had to
cross Big Cypress, a remarkably treacherous, miry, and troublesome stream, now
bankful and very swift. At the crossing a single bridge spanned it, with none
above or below for thirty miles or more. From Little Rock, heavily garrisoned,
it was nearer to this frail structure than the point on the railroad upon which
Shelby determined to hurl the weight of his eager squadrons, and a rapid,
vigorous column seizing hard hold of the bridge and keeping hard hold of it-as
the Federals always did when having the advantage-would work much damage and
maybe death upon the bold intruders going down to stir up a hornet's nest about
the railroad and the mowing machines. Shelby knew this better than his wisest
officers could know it, for he had more at stake-and interest is a wonderful
mentor--so he stationed Colonel Dobbins, with his brave and valuable brigade,
full upon the dangerous point and bade them keep it as grim Roratius kept a
larger one across the" yellow Tiber."
There was a coolness
and nonchalance about Shelby's movements as he approached the railroad which
made some of the new hands think he did not understand the nature of his
business or the imminence of the danger .dared. Slowly in column of fours the
old division and McCray's brigade marched leisurely along, with Collins' battery
half way the line; then the two ammunition wagons; then a small guard, maybe
three squadrons, behind the wagons; and, altogether, the whole thing looked
exactly like a Federal expedition returning carelessly from a four days' scout.
The reapers and the
mowers whetted their hot scythes in the hotter sunlight, and the lazy horses
drew slowly to the ricking place great loads of the sweetly scented hay-cut and
cured days agone. The drowsy sentinels lolled languidly in the narrow shadows of
the sturdy parapets, and the idle flags drooped wearily and sad in the listless
air-like women's skirts with the starch all gone and the crinoline left at home.
Four angular works grew low and bold up from the level of the great green
prairie, yellow and faded, and tipped or crowned at intervals with a yawn or two
of cannon, that looked sinister and chilly even in the July weather. The grazing
mules tinkled soft, low bells away in the distance, and indolent smoke wreaths
from five hundred indolent fires wound slowly heavenward in protest against the
energy and appetite that unappeased must cook upon such a sultry day.
To face Duvall's
Bluff on the left, and which might be troublesome as the fight waxed hot, Hunter
and his regiment were detached and ordered to take post two miles from the
operations of the main body, and hold everything in check that wished to come
into battle from that direction. This movement, rapidly executed, woke the
noon-day sleep of the look-out men, and shocked the hay gatherers into flight
and panic. Drums beat furiously, bugles rang out shrill notes, and blue uniforms
started into life alert, intelligent, and well to the front. A great, deep
silence then as of preparation j the old Iron Brigade shook a. few folds out of
its broad barred flag, quivered and galloped as if around some imaginary object,
and spread out--away, away-into a long straight line two deep and dressed to the
shadow of a sword blade.
Shanks was well up
from his ugly Clarendon wound, but rode lightly on the saddle, and held the
bridle with a soft, winning grasp, as if he knew great speed and rush must come
right royally. Shelby marked the hay-cutters struggling over stubble and
wind-row, and he threw out a net of two hundred meshes by the lone note of a
bugle blown by Benjamin Crowther, and the simple fish were brought in to the
number of seventy-five. The first fort, held by three hundred of the 1st
Nebraska Cavalry -they were infantry when fighting Shelby a year and more ago at
Cape Girardeau-grew vicious in a moment, and noisy even to a bullet
demonstration. Gordon got his orders positively for the charge, and got his
start for the gallop before the words grew cold in the sultry air. Only a moment
and no more. To the rear marched the Nebraskans, and to the blue skies overhead
went the flames of the fort on nre, as it had been built of hay bales dry as
powder grains.
Redoubt No. 2 saw all
the terror of Gordon's charge, and threw its garrison forward to the shelter and
the strength of No. 3, but only too late again. The steeds of Hooper, which all
the long, hot forenoon had been champing impatient bits on the battle prairie,
dashed away in a mad, fierce gallop over, among, and down upon the swift
runners, and fifty more victims were added to the mowers and the Nebraskans. Six
cannon shots drove No. 3 to the wall, and proud in its massiveness, glorying in
its strength, No. 4 opened its gates to receive the debris and the garrison of
No. 8. Veteran lllinois infantry were there-the re-enlisted 54th of the line,
led by Colonel :Mitchell, who laughed grimly, looking over the parapets of his
low redoubt, at the forming horsemen in his front. Collins opened fire upon No.
4 with fearful precision, and Shanks received his orders to charge it after a.
dozen discharges from the battery It was done, and well done. The Illinoisans
stood to their guns manfully, and many of the old brigade fell dead or hard hit
as they went up to the grapple, but the survivors, leaping the ditch, poured a
deadly fusilade into the crowded earthworks. Three times a white flag went up
for quarter, and three times some bold, proud hand snatched it down to renew the
fight, Shanks still shooting and killing, caring very little whether they
concluded to let it stay up or not. Finally it went up again, broad and white
above the low powder clouds clinging to the crest of the work, and Shanks
marched Colonel :Mitchell and six hundred of the 54th lllinois Veteran Infantry
in triumph to the rear. The fighting for ten minutes was over, and the old
brigade reformed for 0. few brief moments of rest. Down from Little Rock a long
black column came hurrying at the double-quick, batteries in the interval and
curtained by a. cloud of cavalry skirmishers. From Duvall's Bluff another black
column more solid and massive than the other one, struck Hunter fairly and
squarely and bore him back very slowly but painfully and
wearily to him-for
his men fell too fast for his weak and battered regiment. Before the arrival of
these two fraternizing hosts, two hundred men had been busy with the railroad,
with the mowing machines, with the great ricks of winter hay, and marring the
smooth glossy surface of the glad prairie were great heaps of smouldering
timbers, burnt and twisted iron, and vast masses of charred and smoking
provender.
The column from
Little Rock and the column from Duvall's Bluff came rapidly together like two
huge thunder clouds-and the artillery going into action seemed also like the
short, sharp bursts of the two clouds as they meet in mid-heaven. Shelby
gathered up his fatigue dutymen and opposed front to front though overlapped a
mile or more. Bullets from the oncoming ranks struck splinters from the tics in
the faces of the men destroying them, and the shells exploded in the great
stacks of cord wood being prepared for the flames. Hunter, McCray and Jackman
formed on the left; the skirmishers and detached squadrons were gathered up on
the right, and Shelby moved upon the enemy determined to gain the essential
advantages inferior forces always obtain in being the first to attack. Twice the
Federals were borne back across the railroad· track, and twice they reformed and
advanced again to the fight. It was not Shelby's intention now to continue the
battle with the large odds against him only long enough to enable McCray to
withdraw his less disciplined brigade, with the wounded, prisoners,
wagons, and
artillery; and when these were disappearing in the distant timber skirting the
prairie, he ordered a charge along the entire line, stripped the Federal front
of its cavalry and skirmishers bare as a winter's forest, and then broke into
column and galloped off with impetuosity, receiving, however a dozen or more
precise shots from accurately-served cannon.
Before twenty shots
had been fired upon the railroad, a small swift scout was sent across the track
southward to ascertain whether General Price had crossed the Arkansas river, and
whether it would be necessary to fight longer for a diversion in his favor.
McDaniel led
it-always daring and always successful. Returning as speedily as he went, after
fighting and eluding a dozen detachments, he reported no Confederates moving at
all from that direction, and" then Shelby knew the forces for the expedition to
Missouri would come by the western route-by Lewisburg or Dardanelle,.-instead of
crossing at Pine Bluff, east of Little Rock.
The day had been a
busy one, too, and crowded by successes more brilliant than any since" Mark's
Mill." The railroad, destroyed for twenty miles, prevented easy communication
between Little Rock and White river, and therefore the concentration of any
large body to follow the retreat. Four forts, with garrisons amounting to one
thousand one hundred and seventeen men and officers,· embracing the 54th
Illinois Veteran Infantry, and the 1st Nebraska Veteran Cavalry, were captured,
together with enormous quantities of supplies, ammunition, and arms, aU of which
were carried safely away in the face of rescuing friends; the forts leveled to
the earth; the garnered hay of a long month's gathering was consumed in an hour;
the thunder of "rebel" artillery shook the battlements of Little Rock; and the
waving of " rebel" banners terrified the sight of the alarmed commander at
Duvall's
Bluff.
As Shelby's retreat
continued the Federal cavalry became bolder and bolder-so bold indeed that they
hurled the leading regiment -a Wisconsin one-hard upon his rear to crush it,
returning in column. Eor one brief moment the melee was dreadful, and fifty or
sixty on both sides fell dead or wounded-but Shanks, swinging round to succor
the rear, under Elliott, struck the right flank of the Wisconsin regiment like a
catapult, cut it half in two, killed seventy-three in five minutes' fighting,
captured twenty-eight, and hurled back the pursuers for two miles or more.
Uneasy about the bridge over Cypress, and fearing lest Colonel Dobbins might
have been overpowered and destroyed, General Shelby pressed on with unabated
speed and endurance, reaching it about eleven o'clock at night-having marched
forty miles, fought six hours, captured over eleven hundred prisoners, destroyed
four forts and twenty miles of railroad track. Heavy work and well done, truly.
Colonel Dobbins and his trust had not been molested, . fortunately, and Shelby
stationed Gordon and his regiment at the bridge, marching on with the rest of
his command to .higher and drier camping ground, five miles away.
Gordon's tired,
hungry solders laid down complacently in line of battle, in the mud and the
water, the center of the regiment resting on the bridge, the horses saddled and
retired from the flanks, and skirmishers well to the front across the stream,
with orders to fall back upon the approach of the enemy without firing a shot.
Captain Will Moorman, cool, wary, and intelligent, held the extreme outpost and
heard the Federal cavalry coming on gayly with songs and boisterous merriment,
so different from their usual silent, cautious advance. Nearer and nearer-then a
halt and a great stillness followed. The light waned slowly; the stars twinkled
softly and dimly; the dark, sobbing waters rushed away to the full-fed river
below; and the simple ghost of a July breeze stirred the silken misty hair of
the night up against the bold brow of the skirting timber and the weird,
skeleton prairie beyond. Captain Moorman, as soon as he heard the rattle of
scabbards and the dull, heavy thudding of trained horses, sent Clay Floyd, a
young, brave eager, boy-soldier back to Gordon with the information that the
enemy were within hearing, and to make ready for a, charge. Gordon, always
ready, walked swiftly along the regiment's front, spoke a few short words to
each captain, and went back again to the bridge, everything as fully prepared as
if he had been there for a year.
Away from the front
there came a single shot-a, solid, sharp, quick volley-a dull, heavy shout-and
then the rush of a thousand steeds in full gallop. "Down with every gun !"
thundered Gordon through the gloom, and the regiment heard it from one end to
the other. "Down with every gun until our skirmishers cross the bridge." True to
orders, hard pressed, and running for 'dear life, the Confederates rushed back
without firing 0. shot, and the yelling Federals came on desperately-blindly to
a cruel welcome. Never before or since that night, during the whole career of
Shelby's command, were the enemy known to charge a concealed force in the
darkness, without even skirmishing or feeling the position, and a bridge to
cross in the face of five hundred muskets. The leading files were half way over
the tottering structure and the road beyond was blocked and crammed by the dense
column, when as one man Gordon's regiment delivered its fire and charged on foot
with drawn revolvers. From the darkness and the swamp beyond the bridge came
cries and groans of agony-but even in the first
moments of the
dreadful surprise, the desperate Federal cavalry stood long enough under fire to
take up and cll.rry off the dead and wounded and reform the shattered ranks.
Then retiring beyond range, a six-gun battery opened furiously upon the
concealed Confederates and shelled the position for half an hour without effect,
the aim being poor in the darkness and the accuracy of the fire very
indifferent. The cannonade gradually became less rapid, broke out again
spasmodically at intervals, then ceased altogether; while the hoarse words of
command could be distinctly heard as the lines were being formed for another
charge. Gordon held on to the bridge with unyielding grasp, and waited in calm
expectation for the second attack. Half an hour passed slowly away and the
silence grew oppressive. Not a breath stirred the cottonwoods, and there was
upon the damp, moist air a scent of powder and battle,
when from the left of
the regiment, where Company G kept watch and ward, there arose shrilly on the
midnight the loud, long, piercing, perfect crow of a rooster, and all was still
again. The effect can hardly be described. In the sober front of battle, waiting
eagerly for a death-struggle, some reckless, devilish soldier rang out this note
of defiance, so ludicrous, so strangely out of place and tune that the entire
regiment raised a great, boisterous shout that might have been heard for miles,
and struck up in unison and, with a mighty roaring voice the beautiful national
song of Dixie. Whether these singular proceedings had any effect upon the enemy,
or whether they guessed the numbers of the Confederates by the volume of sound,
were never known, but the expected attack did not take place, and when Gordon
retired late the next morning not a blue uniform could be seen as far as the eye
might reach across the vast prairies.
The losses in the
division were heavy and necessarily so at the railroad fight, as forts had to be
charged und large odds encountered. Two hundred and eleven Confederates were
killed and wounded; and as all were borne from the field the number was
accurately ascertained. Shanks' devoted regiment suffered most, then Hunter's,
then Hooper's. Among the killed were Lieutenant Warren Stone, of Shanks'
regiment, and Lieutenant Dickey, of Hooper's regiment. These two young and
accomplished officers were among the best in the command, and had been
complimented and promoted for gallantry in a previous battle.
Major Lawrence,
shortly after the command had returned from this expedition, joined headquarters
with information that General Price, at the head of 0. large cavalry force, was
moving by way of Dardanelle for Batesville, and that a desperate effort would be
made to enter and hold Missouri. Shelby stock went up to the skies among the
good Arkansas people after this brilliant victory, and the recruits became
veterans in spirit and resolution. McCray's brigade acted admirably upon the
railroad and gave evidence of future firmness and soldierly bearing. Colonel
Mitchell and his hitherto well-fed comrades felt considerable hunger and fatigue
for some days after their heavy marching, but cheered up wonderfully when
Shelby's inspector visited their open-air camp, supplied with solitary
roasting-ears (all the rations Shelby could offer to his prisoners as well as to
his own men), and paroled them preparatory to their journey North. Colonel
Mitchell had a holy horror of the guerrillas known to be operating about the
Missouri line-and maybe with some reason, too--so he asked for an escort to
conduct him safely through. It was given cheerfully by General Shelby, who,
furnishing horses for the officers, in addition to a liberal supply of new corn
whisky, the entire body went away to their friends with cheers, delighted at
their treatment and suffering from only three days' detention and starvation.
Out of sheer revenge
for the work upon the railroad, General Steele massed a heavy force under
Colonel Wood and sent it up after the daring Confederates operating in his rear
so desperately and so successfully. Wood made a great show of strength, which
betrayed his timidity, and after harrying two or three plantations, stealing a
hundred negroes or so, and stripping of all its souvenirs and household relics
the hospitable and delightful residence of Mr. Thomas Hough, of Augusta, one of
the purest and best of Arkansas' many true. and tried patriots, returned to
Duvall's Bluff ingloriously. The soldiers of this expedition plundered every
house, barn-yard, poultry-roost, and cabin on the line of march. Mrs. Hough
drove three
or four from her
pantry and private sleeping room, but not before they had taken her jewelry,
ambrotypes, and many other objects of interest and value because of
associations. Several ladies were halted on the streets and made to deliver over
rings and watches; and wearing apparel and baby-linen all went into the
insatiate knapsacks of the Dutch and the Yankees, the officers making but little
effort to restrain them.
A young guerrilla,
Captain Rayburn, operating near Des Are, and noted for the boyish look of his
fresh, beardless face, and the deadly precision of his movements and attacks,
took advantage of the railroad fight to strike a large scouting party of the
enemy, killed thirtyfour, captured ten officers and thirty men, and brought to
headquarters a vast drove of horses and mules, now greatly needed for the
Missouri expedition.
Shelby set out in
earnest for the campaign ahead; brought Freeman down from Pocahontas; drew
Dobbins in from Helena; concentrated all the fatigue detachments; distributed
what arms, ammunition, clothing and supplies remained on hand; destroyed his
pontoon bridge at Jacksonport; and marched up to Pocahontas with his entire army
to await the arrival of General Price. From this point I will survey the field
of his late operations and recapitulate the exploits and the successful
adventures of the man. Two hundred miles from the Confederate lines, in rear of
twenty thousand Federals well supplied with every appliance of war; in a country
destitute almost wholly of subsistence and intersected and cut up by
rivers, innumerable
swamps and bayous, he yet marched, fought, moulded, recruited, ruled, reigned
and triumphed over all. Five battles and fifty skirmishes were gained; three
thousand Federals killed, wounded, and captured; one gun-boat blown out of the
water, one sunk and two crippled; six thousand recruits raised, organized, armed
and equipped within the enemy's lines; peace and prosperity restored to the most
lovely portion of Arkansas; protection and justice administered with unerring
hands; robbers and jayhawkers hung up like scare-cr01\'s to keep the bad away,
and everything that was good and patriotic encouraged and protected unto the
end.
Before closing the
record of all these bright events, and before leaving a theater decorated with
so many pleasant memories of Confederate glory, I would fain speak one good word
for Genera.l Frederick Steele, commanding the Arkansas District, with
headquarters at Little Rock. Brave, intelligent, generous, high-toned, and
chivalric, he made every exertion in his power to mitigate the severities of war
and ameliorate the condition of the poor, ruined families seeking his aid and
assistance. True and sincere in the exercise of the duty and obligations of the
side he had espoused, he yet saw in captured Confederates only prisoners of war,
and treated them with courtesy and refinement. This course, invariably pursued,
begot corresponding leniency on the part of General Shelby, and the connection
with Steele's army was the passport for all Federal officers or soldiers to
certain and immediate release. The families of the Union men and Union soldiers
in Shelby's lines were religiously protected, and shared alike with the
Confederates in the distribution of supplies. The remembrance of these
courtesies,
though few and far
between, may serve to throw a little sunshine upon a struggle otherwise so dark
and rugged.
There had been sent
from Mexico to General Shelby a magnificent sombrero, or hat--one of the
peculiar hats of the country, and worn principally by the rancheros, or men
owning large haciendas. This hat, costing probably two hundred dollars,
splendidly worked with golden flowers and adornments, and having a. large, wide
golden band, was destined and set apart for General Steele, but one unfortunate
day, after taking it from its box to show to some visitors, a heavy gust of wind
carried it out of the tent and deposited it midway between two burning logs, so
disfiguring its beauty that Shelby would not send it to the gallant Steele.
However, Steele must take the will for the deed, and give the division credit
for at least a
desire to bestow upon
him some appreciation of its respect and admiration.
About the same time
that Colonel Gordon and Colonel Dobbins made the" plantation raid," Lieutenant
Colonel Erwin, of Shanks' regiment, was sent to the Mississippi river, with a
detachment of one hundred and fifty men, to gather up some recruits there, bring
in the necessary horses for the dismounted men, and strike any blows he could
make convenient and sure. Erwin was a gallant soldier, but without much frontier
experience as a cavalry officer, though afterward his exploits were brilliant
and promising in the highest degree. Colonel of a cavalry regiment in the Old
Missouri State Guard, he made, in 1861, near Morristown, Cass county, a
desperate fight with the notorious Jennison, routed him completely, and killed
and wounded many of his jayhawkers. Reaching the vicinity of the river and
accomplishing his mission most thoroughly, he halted one day for foraging
purposes. Not anticipating danger,
the usual precautions
taken against surprise were neglected. The men were scattered in every direction
over a large corn-field, gathering into blankets and sacks sufficient quantities
of corn for the horses, when four hundred Kansas and Missouri militia charged
the separated and powerless Confederates and put them to flight. Fourteen were
killed in the field-in every instance after they had surrendered-and twenty more
were taken in pursuit by some individual Federals merciful in victory, but they
were stripped of everything and treated inhumanly. Two, left for dead,
recovered-one of them shot five times after giving up his gun, and the other
James Smith, an unsurpassable soldier-after surrendering also, was shot through
the head. The nephew of Colonel Upton Hays, poor Sam. McMurtry, the Colonel's
life and courage within his youthful breast, was also murdered and mutilated
after death. The fugitives escaping were finally rallied and reunited to their
regiment. Colonel Erwin had been unfortunate, but Shelby did not censure him; he
had been surprised, but Shelby argued that the
cavalry service was a
warfare of surprises, retreats, sudden shocks, and inevitable melees. He gave
Erwin the opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of his soldiers, and when
Shanks charged Redoubt No. 4 upon the Little Rock Railroad, one of the first to
leap the walls was Lieutenant Colonel Erwin. Ever afterward his wariness and
devotion were remarkable.
While General Shelby
was so successfully operating in the rear .of Steele, Marmaduke's brigade was
not idle. About fifteen miles above its mouth, White river spreads out two arms,
one reaching over into the Arkansas, the other e:lttending down to the
Mississippi Between the two is an island fifteen or twenty miles long and twelve
miles broad. On this island stood a strong stockade, garrisoned by some hundred
and fifty white and black soldiers, kept there to protect cotton-stealers and
speculators. Colonel Colton Greene, commanding Marmaduke's brigade at the
time-its General being away on leave of absence-ordered Colonel Lawther, of the
10th Missouri Cavalry, to surprise, if possible, attack and destroy this viper's
nest. Lawther moved with three hundred and fifty men, crossed two hundred over
the Arkansas in canoes and upon logs, made a forced march of eleven miles
through mud Bond water knee deep, and gained the vicinity of the fort after
great exertion. Lawther was ignorant of the existence of this fortification, but
concluded to charge it, at all events, after getting in such close proximity.
The gallant Lieutenant Colonel Merrit Young led one detachment, the heroic Major
Bennett another, the skillful and courageous Captain Davidson the third, and the
fourth was commanded by Lawther in person. From given points these leaders
pressed steadily onward through the fallen timber; five pickets were killed at
their posts the first fire, and then a great rush came for the fort. Between the
attacking and defending soldiers were several houses, filled with supplies and
occupied as quarters by the Federal officers. The inmates, surprised but
determined, hurried away to safer lodgings. In the race several more were
killed, and Colonel Lawther shot a captain with his own hand. Those in the fort
stood to their work well. The Confederates got close up to the stockade-so
close, indeed, that the protruding guns were stricken down in the very act of
firing. Only one aperture existed through which entrance could be made, and this
opened upon the river, enfiladed by the two gunboats, and swept continually by
grape and cannister. Captain Barry, leading his brave company, made a decided
attempt to enter and was repulsed. Lawther finally retreated, without effecting
the object of his mission, losing fifteen men in killed and wounded. The
enterprise was skillfully planned, but, based upon the supposition that no
fortifications were to be encountered, failed, therefore, of success. The
fighting done by the Confederates was excellent, the retreat well conducted, and
they safely recrossed the Arkansas river unpursued by the cautious enemy.
Long before this
expedition, however, Marmaduke's brigade had been ordered to the Mississippi
river, in the extreme southeastern part of the State, for the 'purpose of
interfering with the commercial navigation of that stream, and impeding the
transportation of men and supplies over its waters. He moved by easy marches
across the Saline river, and through Monticello, in the direction of Chicot
county. .At the Saline he received the order of General Smith announcing his
promotion, with that of Fagan, Parsons, Maxey and others, to the rank of major
general. His promotion, however, was made to date from the field of Jenkins'
Ferry, while that of General Fagan dated from the affair at Mark's Mill; thus
making the latter gentleman the ranking officer by a few days. Though Marmaduke
now held the position of a major general, and was entitled by rank to a
division, his command was practically cut
down to a brigade for
the first time west of the river, except for a. few days when General Price was
in command at Little Rock. An unnecessary sub-division was also created, to
which General Fagan. was assigned, with his headquarters at Monticello; and
Marmaduke found himself, as usual, under General Price's administration of,
affairs, with about as much discretionary power as ordinarily pertains to a
colonel commanding a brigade.
Marmaduke proposed to
approach the river in the vicinity or Gaines' Landing, and sweeping suddenly
down it, hoped to capture a trading-boat, and thus put an immediate quietus on
the cotton trade, that was doing much to sustain and enrich the enemy and to
demoralize the Southern people. With this object in view, he ordered several or
his best scouting companies and most active captains in advance, and directed
them to closely picket Bayou Bartholomew and Bayou Mason, to prevent all
communication between the interior and the river, to contradict all rumors of
his marching in that direction, and to mislead public opinion as far as possible
in regard to his movements. They did their duty so well that they got possession
of some documents not
intended for the eye of the military, and in which the discrepancies between the
statements and protestations the writers had made to the general, and the
private advice and instructions they gave their friends and agents on the river,
placed them in an awkward and ludicrous position.
Captain John Jacobs,
of Burbridge's regiment, in pursuance of his orders, cautiously approached the
river, and found there a trading boat, richly laden, but anchored a hundred
yards or such a matter in the stream. Captain Jacobs was an officer of great
sagacity and fertility of resource, and withal daring to conceive and quick to
execute. He determined to get possession of the boat by strategy, since it could
not be done by force. He kept his company closely concealed, and watched for an
opportunity to make a demonstration. After laying in wait for half a day, he saw
the yawl put off from the boat with half a dozen citizens in it, who had been on
board quietly transacting their little unlawful business. He at once made
arrangements
to seize the citizens
and get possession of the yawl. Fortunately the yawl landed behind a point
several hundred yards lower down, and removed from the sight of those on the
boat. The citizens mounted their horses, hitched near by, and started homeward
with a sense of perfect safety. Jacobs had opened his lines, and when they had
passed safely through the first, the company closed upon them, and they found
themselves in a perfect net, with no alternative but to surrender at discretion.
The yawl had been seized as soon as the citizens left it; and Jacobs now with
eight or ten picked men, disguised to look as much like citizens as possible,
and keeping their arms concealed, got into it and pulled directly for the boat.
The success of the maneuver, indeed their lives, depended upon reaching the boat
without being suspected; for there were men enough and arms enough aboard to
utterly destroy them, before
they could either
reach the point of attack, or escape, if their true character was once known. A
burly negro was washing clothes on the hurricane deck, who turned several times
and observed them closely as they approached, and at each inspection gave Jacobs
a cold chill. But whatever his suspicions, he gave no alarm, and in a few
moments the yawl ran alongside, the men sprang actively aboard and seized the
arms, stacked, heavily loaded and ready for use, and the boat, and all she
contained, was in their possession. Jacobs ordered her run into the shore, took
off several wagon loads of the most available plunder, and rather precipitately
burned her, fearing lest she should attract the attention of a gunboat, and he
should lose his prize. It was reported afterward, and no doubt correctly, that
the owners went to Shreveport, and by specious representation induced General
Smith to pay them for the boat and cargo, not in Confederate money, but in
specie.
This little episode
created intense excitement and painful agitation among the cotton speculators,
each one of whom was armed with a permit from General Smith to sell and export
from the country a certain number of thousand bales of cotton, in consideration
of their doing certain things in return, which they were always very careful not
to do. And as these commercial gentlemen usually kept count themselves of the
number of bales sold, the permits amounted, in fact, to a carte blanche to sell
any amount they chose or could, during the continuance of the war or their
natural lives. The citizen was debarred the privilege of selling his cotton, and
had no alternative but to let these speculators have it on their own terms, or
to retain it to be seized by Federal scouts, who always strangely came after
that cotton which its owner would not sell. They now rushed from every direction
to Marmaduke's headquarters in hot haste to complain of the injury that would
inevitably be done to their interests, if boats were allowed to be captured and
burned, and to produce an order from General Price directing Marmaduke not to
interfere with the cotton trade. Marmaduke heard them quietly, and replied that
the order they had produced had been in his Adjutant General's office several
days, that he had no desire to interfere with any trade permitted by the
Government, and that his business there was to fight the enemy; consequently,
that they could proceed with their business, and he would with his, which was to
sink all the boats he could, and to burn all be caught. This interview, together
with a pleasant intimation on the part of the soldiers that they would hang any
speculator they chanced to catch, effectually dissolved all relations between
the military and commercial branches of the Government in that part of the
Confederacy.
The next day the
brigade moved to the river near Gaines' Landing, and held its course down the
stream in search of adventures. Citizens said, and infantry commands that had
served short campaigns on the river corroborated the statement, that the
artillery practice of the gunboats was particularly deadly. They asserted that
if a person exposed himself, they skillfully ma.ngled him with a round shot, and
if he took refuge behind the levees, they deftly dropped a shell over upon him
and blew him off. The command was, therefore, naturally inclined to approach
them cautiously. During the earlier part of the day they had several short
affairs with the enemy, and were something more than surprised that nobody was
killed. Toward evening the brigade had worked its way several miles below
Columbia, when Marmaduke was informed that four transports and three gunboats
had gone around a bend of the river twelve or fifteen miles in length. The
distance across the neck of the bend was not more than a mile, and the road a
good one, leading through a level plantation. He determined to give
them an open fight
when they came out, and to decide at once, without the protection of levees or
any other kind of shelter, who was to control the river. The bank just there was
covered with a growth of heavy timber, and by the time Hynson's and Harris'
batteries-ten pieces of artillery-had got into position, partially masked, and
the men had been deployed to support them, the leading gunboat turned the point
and steamed past. A large transport shortly followed, and was no sooner within
good range, than the ten guns opened simultaneously upon her. The sudden burst
of fire shocked and startled her so greatly that she stopped her engines and
rang her bell furiously. She was evidently at a loss whether to go back or to
attempt to run the gauntlet of fire before her. Neither course was without
danger, and while she hesitated the batteries poured upon her a storm of shot
and shell. The gunboats hastened to her relief, and one of them, lashing on to
her, dragged her out, for she seemed unable to do any thing for herself. The
engagement now became fast and furious, and in the midst of it the other
transports attempted to pass. But 88 soon as they came within range, the
batteries concentrated their fire upon them, and themselves received the fire of
the gunboats. The channel was quite narrow at this point, and whenever the
gunboats came near enough, the men opened upon them with their rifles,
frequently causing them to close their port-holes and cease firing until they
could get out of range. Harris' and Hynson's guns were evidently doing good
execution, for their shells could be seen bursting within the boats. All the
time the gunboats kept up a furious cannonade, but firing too high, they merely
tore large limbs from the trees, and otherwise scarred and defaced the beautiful
forest. The engagement
lasted three quarters
of an hour. One transport had worked her wa.y past, but the other three had to
be dragged out of the line of fire by the gunboats. The Confederate loss was one
man
killed and three or
four wounded, most of them in the rear with the horses. The artillery suffered
the loss of one of the toes of one of its lieutenants.
Directly this affair
was done, the command turned back in the direction of Columbia, and had gone
some distance across the neck of land toward the river above, when a courier
came at speed to inform Marmaduke that a gunboat and steamer had passed
Columbia, and were coming down just behind him. Marmaduke put the artillery to a
gallop to intercept them, but the steamer was too fast, and passed before the
guns could get into position. The gunboat escorted her by and then turned back
to offer battle. Marmaduke ordered Hynson's battery outside of the levee to meet
her. It was a fair open fight on both sides-a six gun battery against a light
clad gunboat, such as the Federals used to patrol and hold the river. The men
were dismounted behind the levee to the right and left of the battery, but being
curious to watch the progress of the fight, they soon perched themselves on top
of it for the better view.
The engagement lasted
half an hour, when the gunboat backed out, .afraid to expose her wheel to
Hynson's fire, and retired amid the shouts and jeers of the command. The
onfederates did not have a man injured, and thE'! damage to the boat could only
be conjectured from the fact that she retired from that part of the river for
several weeks, probably to have her wounds dressed. These two affairs utterly
destroyed the prestige and name of terror of these boats with the soldiery;
indeed, so little did they come to care for them, that while the batteries were
engaged, the soldiers not on duty did not interrupt their game of cards, or
other amusement of the moment, though sharply exposed to their fire.
Marmaduke now
prepared to go regularly into the business of fighting gunboats and disturbing
the navigation of the river. He located his headquarters at Lake Village, and
encamped the brigade a few miles below the town, on the banks of Old River lake.
This lake is nearly thirty miles in length, of a crescentic form, or rather that
of a. horse-shoe, the horns of the crescent, or the points of the shoe, nearly
reaching to the Mississippi river. This location secured him from surprise, and
gave him abundant opportunity to maneuver if the enemy attempted to land a force
above or below him. The batteries took alternate days on the river, and a
regiment supported each battery regularly in its turn. The rest of the command
not on duty had nothing to do but enjoy themselves as best they could, cultivate
amicable relations with the citizens, or when tired of the monotony of the camp,
ride down to the river and watch operations there. The opportunities for social
enjoyment were more than usually favorable. Chicot county was the richest county
in the State, or, indeed, in the United States, at the
beginning of the war,
in proportion to the number of its inhabitants. The lands were rich and well
improved. Everywhere extensive plantations, stately family mansions, beautiful
grounds, and every appliance that tends to add elegance and refinement to social
life, met the view and charmed the senses. The planters were wealthy and
hospitable, the ladies beautiful and cultivated, and, living immediately on the
river, were well provided with all those household supplies that were become a
thing of remembrance only in the more interior portions of the Confederacy. This
was a combination of delightful circumstances that the rugged and ragged
officers and soldiers were entirely unable to resist, and many a stout trooper
and gallant leader became a willing prisoner there, who before had defied
'captivity and mocked at chains. Like the indulgences of Capua. upon the hardy
Carthagenians, the pleasant surroundings
of the command made
serious inroads upon its discipline, and officers and soldiers, always prompt
for duty before, now sought excuses, even to absolute sickness, to avoid the
march or the scout. At the same time many an independent, careless soldier was
seized with an ambition to become a hero, and only regretted that there were
neither bards nor troubadours, in this degenerate age, to sing in lady's bower
of knightly daring and deeds of high emprize, but that such achievements only
found stupid mention in officers' reports that were never read. Married men
sorrowed that they were married, and single men only wished to reach that happy
estate.
While the fair
inhabitants of Chicot were making such dreadful havoc upon the tender
sensibilities and susceptible natures of the soldiers of the brigade, from the
cautious general in command to the most enthusiastic private in the ranks, they
were reciprocating, as well as they could the damage they received, upon the
shipping of the enemy. Hardly a day went by without an affair of more or "less
magnitude, and hardly a transport attempted to pass without being destroyed or
disabled. Floating about in the vicinity of the Confederate field of operation,
was what was known as the brigade of Marine Cavalry, under the excellent
leadership of Colonel Ellet. This worthy band of warriors were wont to travel on
steamboats, horses and all, and by making their appearance at unexpected points,
capturing non-combatants, frightening women and children, stealing cotton, and
an unlimited use of bravado, had managed to impress the country people with an
exalted idea of their prowess. They claimed that they had lately put General
Wirt Adams' command to flight on the east side of the river. Marmaduke was
anxious to test the quality of these amphibious heroes, and laid many covert
plans· to induce them to venture fairly on shore; but they were evidently in the
cot
ton rather than the
fighting line of business, and steadily declined all his shrewd overtures.
The spirited warfare
carried on rendered the use of the river for commercial purposes almost
valueless; and it was deemed essential by the enemy that Marmaduke should be
driven from his position. Inasmuch as Colonel Ellet and his valiant brigade,
could not or wouldn't do it, it became necessary to organize another force for
that purpose. Consequently intelligence soon reached him that a large fleet of
steamboats were being collected at Vicksburg, for the purpose of transporting
General A. J. Smith's command up the river; and it was actually inferred that
they would pay their compliments to the command in Chicot, as they passed,
Marmaduke determined to be as obliging as they were, and that they should not be
disappointed if they sought an engagement; but he greatly desired to increase
his force as much as possible, in order that he might the better entertain them;
and therefore
requested General
Fagan to reinforce him with Cabell's brigade. The brigade was promptly sent,
under command of Colonel Monroe, with Captain Huey's battery attached. The enemy
made their preparations deliberately, and seemed in no hurry to begin their
campaign. So great. was their tardiness, indeed, that General Fagan concluded
that they had abandoned the expedition altogether, and accordingly dispatched to
Marmaduke that he had reason to think that the enemy meditated a movement upon
him from Pine Bluff, and that they had abandoned their expedition from
Vicksburg; and directed him, if his information from below was to the same
effect, to move his whole command at once back to Monticello. Marmaduke replied
that his information was exactly the converse of General Fagan's; but that he
would put his command in motion for Monticello at sunrise the next morning.
General Fagan sent a second dispatch telling him by no means to withdraw from
his position on the river; but to order the return of Cabell's brigade,
retaining the battery. The next morning Monroe took up
his line of march for
Monticello, not at all pleased, for a fight always delighted that dashing
officer, and he was persuaded that an engagement was imminent with the force on
the river, and that there was no likelihood of such a thing occurring at
Monticello.
A week passed and the
enemy still delayed their coming, though Marmaduke's batteries were all the
while active in their Operations; and being able to see the effects of their
shots, were
improving so steadily
in their practice, that Lieutenant Williams, of Harris' battery, on one
occasion, out of sixty shells fired, succeeded in exploding four-fifths of them
in the steamer he was practicing upon. But at the end of a week the scouts from
below reported the enemy ascending the river with twenty odd boats, filled with
troops. They landed that night at the lower point of the lake, and held
themselves in readiness to advance at dawn the next day. During the night and
the next morning the rain fell in torrents; but the enemy advanced promptly
notwithstanding, and were as promptly met by Burbridge's regiment, and their
passage disputed from point to point. The Marine Cavalry accompanied the column,
but through extreme modesty could not be induced to take the advance, and
contest the route with Burbridge. Marmaduke's brigade at that time was severely
depleted by hard service and the numbers it had lost in killed and wounded, and
could not muster more than a thousand men. One hundred of this number were sent,
under Major Bennett, to the upper end of the lake to resist any demonstration
from that direction, and to give Marmaduke timely notice if the enemy attempted
to land above and inclose him between two forces. Another hundred probably were
on scouting service
in the direction of Arkansas river and of Lake Providence. This left him only
about eight hundred effective men, with whom to meet an enemy, whose force was
not less than four or five thousand infantry, strongly encouraged, of course, by
the presence of the Marine Cavalry. To compensate for this weakness in men,
however, he had fourteen pieces of artillery; and it became an object of the
first importance to select a field on which his strength in artillery could be
made available. A mile below where the troops were camped was an artificial
ditch, known as Ditch Bayou, cut to draw off the redundant waters of Bayou Mason
into the lake. The banks of Ditch Bayou were abrupt and steep, very muddy from
the effects of the rain, and partially filled with water. Marmaduke decided,
notwithstanding the weakness of his force, to give the enemy battle at this
point. By seven o'clock the sound of
artillery down the
lake warned him that the enemy were approaching, and mounting with his staff and
escort, he rode rapidly to the field, to find that Colonel Greene, commanding
the brigade, was making preparations to receive them at the point indicated, and
that Burbridge's regiment and the head of the opposing column were already in
sight. The Bayou at the point of its junction with the lake, crooked
considerably toward the enemy; and by planting several guns there, though the
position was an exposed one, he could secure an almost enfilading fire on the
enemy, whenever they attempted to charge his line. The other guns he scattered
at considerable intervals along the bank of the Bayou. The men were
deployed in skirmish
line and ordered to take shelter behind the trees that thickly covered the bank
on the Confederate side; though on the opposite side were open fields, that
afforded no protection to an advancing line, except some slight ditches, made to
drain the land, that presented a good cover for their sharp-shooters. The lake
secured the Confederate left; but they were compelled to extend their line,
slight as it was, to a dangerous extent, to prevent the enemy crossing the bayou
above them on the right.
The enemy opened the
engagement by throwing forward a heavy line of skirmishers, who advanced
cautiously and slowly from point to point, availing themselves of every
inequality or break in the surface of the group, and firing steadily as they
advanced, picking off now and then a cannoneer, or shooting an artillery horse,
and presenting themselves so indefinite a front that the artillery could not be
used to advantage against them. The Confederate skirmish line, however, answered
their fire promptly and with effect, and as they came nearer made it so warm
that they recoiled without gaining possession of the ditches nearest the bayou.
The promptness with which the Confederates checked this movement indicated to
General
Smith that they were
in earnest, and that more vigorous measures must be taken to drive them from
their position. The Federal forces were at once formed for a charge, and with
loud cheers rushed forward to the assault. The Confederates, partially under
cover, opened upon them a steady and destructive fire. The artillery, that had
only spoken before by single pieces, and at irregular intervals, thundered a
deadly chorus to the sharper ring of the rifles. The enemy pushed their way
almost to the brink of the bayou; but each step that they
advance4 brought them
more entirely under the enfilading fire of the guns on the left, while the guns
more directly in their front tore through them at short range with grape and
cannister, and the fire of the musketry never for So moment slackened. The enemy
struggled before the fury of this storm, halted a moment, reeled heavily
backward, then broke and Bed across the open field, cut down by the Confederate
fire as they retired. The only advantage they gained by this attempt was to
advance their skirmish line to within a hundred yards of the bayou. They gained
possession of the slight ditches already mentioned, and held them during the
remainder of the day, and from the cover they afforded galled the Confederate
artillery severely.
A considerable
hesitation ensued on the part of the enemy. The position was defended more
stubbornly than they had anticipated, and it· became prudent to make their
preparations to sweep everything before them, before they hazarded another
attack. With an increased force they advanced again to the assault. Again the
battle awoke from its temporary lull: the forest trees quivered in the fierce
concussions; and the smoke that lay heavily on the earth in the damp atmosphere,
shrouded the field and almost hid the combatants from each other. But beneath
this smoky canopy the thunder of guns rolled out slowly and heavily, giving
evidence that they were working under an oppressive fire, but they were working
steadily and with effect. Above the din and turmoil arose the shouting of the
adverse lines-the high, passionate commands of the officers and the wild, fierce
cheers of the men. The enemy held on
long and hard; fought
up to the edge of the bayou; but were too week to attempt to cross it; were
broken and reformed more than once under fire; but at length, their strength
utterly exhausted, were compelled to abandon the attack and retire. Twice again
they renewed the assault, and twice again retired discomfited. A growth of cane,
just behind the Confederate lines was cut almost as with a scythe. Each time
t}1e Federals advanced and retired they extended their lines further up the
bayou, thus compelling Marmaduke to weaken his already thin line to meet their
extensions, and prevent his flank being turned. After they had received a check
for the fourth time, they resolved to use their superior numbers on him in
earnest, and for that purpose threw a force a mile above him. The Confederate
position was no longer tenable, and some of the guns at the same time having
exhausted their supply of fixed ammunition, Marmaduke gave the order to
withdraw, though the enemy were not then making any demonstration against him,
further than the fire of their sharp-shooters was concerned.
Thus, after an
engagement of six hours, between eight hundred dismounted cavalry on one side,
and four or five thousand infantry and a considerable force of cavalry on the
other, the enemy entirely failed to drive the Confederates before them, and only
succeeded in dislodging them by resorting to the tactics only to be used by a
greatly superior force. Had Cabell's brigade been allowed to remain as Marmaduke
wished, the probabilities are that the Confederates would have succeeded in
holding the field, and in driving the enemy back to the river by the same road
they came. The Confederate loss, in proportion to its strength, was serious, in
both officers and men. Shortly after the engagement began, Major Charlie
Rainwater,
of Marmaduke's staff,
was severely wounded through the thigh, while superintending the working of a
battery; and of four remaining staff officers on the field, three had their
horses shot under them. The Federal loss was exceedingly heavy. They buried
their dead upon the field of battle, in three trenches, each sixty feet in
length, and also buried at their hospital half 0. dozen who died during the
night. Their number of wounded was not known; but that they had been severely
handled was evident from the fact that they insisted that they had been fighting
from three to five thousand men.
The Confederate
wounded, as the fight progressed, were taken to the residence of a hospitable
citizen some distance in the rear, where they received every attention. The kind
lady of the house tore up her household linen for surgical purposes; and several
young ladies, who were visiting her, lent their aid in doing everything that was
kind and gentle, and bore the sight of the wounded and mangled with heroic
equanimity, until Major Rainwater and Lieutenant Ambrose Hulett were carried
back severely shot, when the youngest, a beautiful, blue-eyed maiden, burst into
tears, and exclaimed: "It must be horrible, indeed, when they shoot down
officers in that way."
Captain Mhoon, of the
engineer department, had, under Marmaduke's direction, thrown a number of rough
bridges across Bayou Mason, and the Confederates moving up the lake road a mile
or so, deflected to the left and crossed the bayou. The enemy showed no
inclination to follow. They moved up to Lake Village, and there, in the most
unnamable of moods, went into camp for the night. The Confederates, having the
bayou in their front, bivouacked quietly and prepared their rations, having been
without food during the day. Just before night they moved again, intending to
recross the bayou at a bridge lower down, and fall upon the Federal rear as soon
as they began to move in the morning. The road following down the bayou bottom,
through a heavy growth or timber, was winding and crooked, and so very heavy
from the recent rains as to be nearly impassable. The night was cloudy. The rain
still fell at intervals, and the darkness lay on the earth like a solid
substance. The advance regiment, under Colonel Lawther, succeeded in getting
through the bottom; but the main column, with the artillery, got confused in the
darkness, and the forces getting constantly out of the road, became entangled in
the woods. Under these circumstances Marmaduke ordered torches to be made, but
the wood, growing in the humid bottom, was thoroughly saturated with water, and
would not burn; and when, after wasting most of the night in a vain attempt to
get
forward, the command
bivouacked on the roadside, the fires that they built burned with a pale, blue
flame, that was only a mocking of light, and that did not dispel the darkness
for ten feet around.
The early dawn saw
the column again in motion; but the enemy moving at the same hour, and having
but ten or twelve miles to march, reached their boats at the upper end of the
lake before it come up with them. Lawther's regiment, however, attacked their
rear repeatedly, and they were content to beat them off without any disposition
to follow. Even the chivalrous marine brigade were content to pursue their march
in peace, protected by the infantry. Lawther followed them to the river and
annoyed them as they embarked and after they were on their boats. At the river
he captured the horse and pistols of Colonel Elliot, but that hero was not with
them. The loss of the horse he no doubt regretted, because of its intrinsic
value, and being besides a very valuable adjunct to a speedy retreat; but as the
pistols were merely a. military ornament, going to increase the pomp of his
soldierly presence, and as he never found other use for them, he could
contemplate their loss with greater equanimity. That evening the brigade went
into its former camp, and the next day resumed its old business of harassing the
enemy's transportation on the river. The result of this movement on the part of
the enemy left Marmaduke nothing to fear for several weeks to come, and he
consequently applied for a leave of absence for the purpose of proposing to
General Smith at Shreveport the outlines of an expedition into Missouri, and at
the same time of visiting Texas on private business. The brigade remained under
command of Colonel Colton Greene, who continued operations on the Mississippi
until he was ordered up the Arkansas river, where he signalized
.himself by the
activity and vigor he displayed in checking the navigation of that stream.
CHAPTER XXI.
As SOON as the
expedition to Missouri was determined upon, General Smith set about finding the
proper officer whose rank was sufficient to lift him above all others, and
prevent any lukewarmness arising from a junior officer being appointed over the
heads of those entitled to command by reason of seniority. General Buckner was
offered the position, but declined it on account of his unwillingness to lead
cavalry. General Magruder was indispensable elsewhere; Generals Marmaduke and
Shelby were too young to go up over the ranking officers necessary to be sent
with their forces, and therefore General Price was selected to command the
expedition. Another reason which lent additional weight to this preference, was
the
supposed influence of
Price in Missouri, and the popularity of his name. He was, unquestionably, very
popular with the masses; but a younger man, trained with a view to cavalry
results, and possessing the active qualifications of either Marmaduke or Shelby,
with their rapidity of movement, and that readiness to decide, and stubbornness
to enforce a decision, which were two of Shelby's most remarkable
characteristics, would, as large numbers upon this expedition thought at that
time, have accomplished more satisfactorily the objects of the invasion, and
have been more fruitful of good to the Confederacy. General Smith, in the
selection of a leader was, from the first, positive and not positive. He
indicated Buckner as
the man once, then
hinted at Magruder, asked Marmaduke to take command, and finally selected
General Price, after stating positively to General Marmaduke that he would not
do so. He felt the great necessity of doing something, but from the vast
quantity of materials around him he could only select after weeks of puerile
hesitation, doubts, and perplexities. Shelby, the youngest general on the list,
had his choice, it is true, but was willing to go with anyone proposing to enter
Missouri, stay there, and conquer there.
Prompt and decided
action on the part of General Smith had become vitally necessary. Lee was
staggering at Petersburg under heavy and incessant blows; Johnson had been
removed from the army of the Tennessee; Sherman was marching to Atlanta, and
Hood, with a heroic desperation which, though immortal, was too late .to
retrieve the fortunes of the dying Confederacy, had hurled himself northward
toward Nashville. A diversion in Missouri would employ thousands of soldiers
already ordered to Thomas; arouse the State to a man for another effort, and
probably be strong enough, if swift enough to seize St. Louis and Jefferson
City. Much reliance, too, was placed, especially by Generals Price and Marmaduke
upon the secret
orders of the Knights of the Golden Circle, or Golden Cross, or Copperheads, or
whatever. other fanciful and appropriate name they might adopt. Periodical
installments of these well dressed, sleek looking gentry came among the rugged
veterans of four years' service, with mysterious books, innumerable signs,
grips, signals, passwords, and incantations sufficient to get up a dozen of
Macbeth's witch dances. Few of the soldiers, however, believed in such
tomfoolery. Four years had been a long time for these men, so terribly and
intensely Southern, to remain with their blue lights, and greased poles, and
Golden Circles, which should have been brass-at a period, too, when the
Confederacy was bleeding deathfully, and her best and bravest heaping the earth
with graves from the Potomac to the Gulf. The stay-at-home Southerners in the
Border States were very much like the inhabitants of many prairiedog villages
between Leavenworth and Fort Laramie. When the coast is clear and nobody in
sight, there is the most infernal barking, chattering, yelling, cavorting, ever
witnessed; but let a shadow darken the horizon, or a rifle crack in the
distance, and, in a twinkling, every furious dog among them is burrowing deep in
close communion with owls and rattlesnakes.
Before this
expedition of cavalry to Missouri had been determined upon and organized,
General Smith was in possession of positive orders from the War Department
requiring him to send his entire army to Richmond immediately. The Mississippi
river must be crossed-a difficult undertaking at any time for large bodies of
men, burdened with supplies and incumbered with all the materials of v..ar-but
trebly so at this time when the department was destitute of boats and the river
in possession of an enemy whose ironclads might have rendered the boats useless
even if possessed. Smith had, nevertheless, heavy artillery, excellent
artillerists, plenty of transportation, and a large river running from
Shreveport to the Mississippi. Slowly and with evident disinclination to obey
his orders, or, at least, to render them abortive by indifference, General Smith
set in motion some brigades and divisions toward the
point at which he
intended crossing. General Dick Taylor, relieved from command after the battles
of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill at the request of General Smith and his own
desire, moved up, opposite this place of crossing, from the Cis-Mississippi side
and telegraphed to General Smith that as he had been assigned to the command of
the troops upon their arrival on the cast side of the river, he would insist
upon speedy and complete movements. Smith hesitated and reflected. When a vain,
weak man hesitates he invariably falls. The muscles of the lion are relaxed only
after the leap, and the coil of the rattlesnake is unwound after the blow. The
gunboats of the enemy were in the way, and the troops indicated by their
expressions an unwillingness to cross over under fire. General Magruder was
consulted. He was a soldier by education, an artillerist by assignment, and a
gentleman from the inherent
instincts of nature,
cultivation, and birth. If' he were "Prince John" in the old army, he was Prince
Rupert in the new. To crush out every vestige of mutiny, he shot a Texan captain
and ten of his soldiers for talking, and then threatened. He had struck,
however, before he threatened. Then a plan was proposed for crossing over the
troops, and if it was not a successful plan, it certainly was not unsuccessful
because it was never tried. At a. given point Magruder said station a heavy
battery; below that another, below that another one still, and so on until six
batteries were disposed of. Then a clear place for five miles from this given
point, with only batteries at greater intervals along, when another mass of
heavy guns were to be posted, protected by earthworks, and fought until"
somebody was hurt." Another fact Magruder insisted upon, viz: With but few
exceptions the Mississippi squadron were· wooden boats or tin-clad boats, with
here and there an iron-clad, and unfit to grapple the heavy Parrotts of Smith.
Magruder continued: Build one hundred flat-boats with oars and rudders; crowd
them with infantry; launch them after nightfall at a given signal from one
hundred given points, and push them over" hap what hap." As a practical
artillerist, he argued that in the confusion
and the darkness, and
under a concentric and enfilading fire, the Federal boats would shoot wildly and
without effect. General Smith listened without answering, and abandoned his
intentions without a reason. The troops were recalled; the orders from Richmond
were disobeyed; and to compromise with his duty and to lull the gnawings of his
injured patriotism, he adopted the cavalry expedition. The map of the United
States might have been changed and the fate of the South less dark of hue, had
Smith complied with his instructions and marched his sixty thousand men to
Richmond. He did not believe the crisis so imminent, and he procrastinated. His
mind refused the aid of the only lamp shining upon his pathway-the calm, clear
order from the War Department-and he stumbled through the darkness of ignorance,
and took the wrong road because he refused to see the right one.
General Magruder was
again consulted. This time the old man broke through the studied ceremony
learned at West Point and the calm, staid courtesy of his nature-he swore a
little. The raid can do no good, argued Magruder. Its blows may be rapid but .
they will be therefore light. Its grasp may be quick and powerful -but the
object to hold is too large and the grasp will be therefore nerveless. Its
movements may be brilliant, but the sky is so dark that after the meteor the
darkness will be appalling. Send everything into Missouri except the old men,
the women and the children. March to St. Louis, seize it, and force Grant to
take his hands from the throat of Lee. The sixty thousand veterans will gather
to them sixty thousand recruits, and if a demonstration in Missouri does not
attract the calm, cold eyes of Grant, cross the Mississippi river, march through
lllinois, Indiana, and Ohio into Kentucky, and on to Richmond then. Lose sixty
thousand men if necessary-they will be lost anyhow. Lose one hundred and twenty
thousand men if necessary-they will be lost anyhow; but yonder at
Richmond-grave-girdled and famine-worn; yonder at Petersburg, powder-blackened
and battle-scarred, the immortal defenders of a nation's life are daily wasting
away and falling before the insatiate scythes of sap and siege. This was the
programme marked out by General John B. Magruder, eloquent-the condemned of
President Davis, the ubiquitous defender of the Peninsula, the
battle-spirit of
Malvern Hill, the battery commander in the city of the Montezumas, who returned
the Archbishop a lady's glove found in his palace, and curled his perfumed hair
under the pitiless fire of Chepultepec.
Replied General
Smith: "I have no depots of supplies for my infantry on the route."
"D--d all depots of
supplies," shouted
Magruder; "take
cattle, gunpowder, and salt."
However, the army to
invade Missouri concentrated at Tulip, Dallas county, Arkansas, on the 80th of
August, 1864, and consisted of Fagan's division, composed of Cabell's and
Slemmon's brigades, and Marmaduke's brigade, which, when getting up with Shelby,
would be raised to a division by the addition of McCray's and Freeman's
commands, and all were led by Major General Sterling Price.
With the separate
movements of each division, their fights, halts, bivouacs, battles, and
skirmishes, I have nothing to do except to give a running chronological
statement, in order to keep up the connection and pilot General Price to
Pocohontas, where General Shelby impatiently awaited him.
August 31st,
September 1st, 2d, and until the 12th, General Price occupied in reaching
Batesville, where, resting one day, the army joined Shelby's forces on the 16th.
When the entire forces had been concentrated, there were three divisions, led
respectively by Fagan, Marmaduke, and Shelby. The Arkansas troops, Cabell's,
Slemmon's, Dobbins', and McCray's brigades formed the 1st division, commanded by
Major General James F. Fagan, and was about four thousand strong, with four
pieces of artillery. The 2nd division, composed of Marmaduke's old brigade,
commanded by General John B. Clarke, jr., and Freeman's brigade, with four
pieces of artillery, had probably three thousand men, and was led by Major
General John S. Marmaduke. The 3rd division was commanded by Brigadier General
Shelby, and consisted of his old brigade, commanded by Colonel David Shanks, and
Jackman's
brigade, with four
pieces of artillery and three thousand men, making in the aggregate about ten
thousand horsemen and twelve pieces of artillery.
Four days were spent
at Pocahontas in shoeing mules and horses, issuing ammunition, and arranging
everything necessary. On the 5th of October, General Price started, Shelby on
the extreme left, Marmaduke on the right, and Fagan, with the
commander-in-chief, in the center. Shelby soon had work in front. Approaching
Current river, the little town of Doniphan was found in flames, 0. large
detachment of Federals having come down from Patterson on a mission of pillage.
Following up the enemy, who had fled at his approach, he surprised them at
daylight the next morning, rolled up in their blankets, killed about forty, and
captured and sent to General Price forty-three-the first offerings of the
expedition. Captain Henry Burt, of Smith's regimeht, a brave and skillful
officer, led this surprise party and did his work well.
Before leaving
Pocahontas, Governor Reynolds came to General Shelby's headquarters and
volunteered upon his staff as an aid-decamp, rendering, throughout the entire
campaign, distinguished services both in the field and in the councils of his
young protege. Captain Ed. Burr, a young Arkansas officer, came also to Shelby
here and was assigned to duty with him. He had been the hero of a recent daring
act, and was eager for fresh adventures upon the prairies of Missouri. No better
nor wiser than the young crusader Rinaldo, he had lingered too long around a
certain paradise in Chicot county, near the Mississippi river, until he had been
"crowned with flowers and intoxicated with perfumes." Ellet's amphibious Marine
Brigade threw out a dozen or so of its hybrid horsemen and fastened upon the gay
captain. He was taken upon a. gunboat pending his transfer to some available
prison, and the day wore peacefully away. Burr was talkative, fascinating, and
repentant-so much so, indeed, that he gained the privilege of going about over
the boat unaccompanied. While laughing and
talking his mind had
been made up to a desperate venture. About nine o'clock at night, and suddenly
and swiftly he sprang from the upper deck into the river. It was a bold leap,
truly, but Burr was young and daring. An excellent swimmer, too, he floated
along some moments in silence, when he struck out manfully for the shore, which
he reached after great efforts and completely exhausted. Shelter, and warmth,
and safety were near at hand, and he gained all speedily, soon forgetting his
dark leap and darker struggle with wind and wave in the swift Mississippi.
At the camp at
Pocahontas, also, General Shelby received the present of a magnificent sorrel
stallion-a beauty, by the way, and strong, and fleet, and docile. The same
friends who had welcomed him to Washington, Arkansas, by an excellent supper,
met one day and resolved to send him a war horse. Captain Ferguson and Captain
Bouldin were the secretaries of this committee of the generous citizens about
Washington, and they were tried and true patriots, too-determined and
unconquerable to the last, as were all in this rare and sturdy old county of
Hempstead. The letter accompanying the horse paid a high compliment to Shelby's
valor, to his devotion to the cause, and to his many administrative as well as
fighting qualities, closing beautifully by expressing the wish that the fleet
limbs of the gallant steed might carry him often and well to universal victory.
Shelby replied feelingly to his generous friends,
and thanked them with
a soldier's gratitude. For weeks and weeks the petted horse was led carefully
along-never a saddle on his broad, bare back-never a bit in his proud, firm
mouth. It was a dark hour there by Westport town when the sorrel was led up for
his death wound. It came at last, though-that death-grapple. There the battle's
wreck was thickest-:where Elliott's dead lay sorest, after his wild, fierce
charge was done, there struggled the beautiful sorrel, death busy with the
quivering nostrils and the glazing eyes.
From Doniphan Shelby
dashed into Patterson, captured forty more state militia, killed seventeen of
Leper's company, and pushed on rapidly to Fredericktown, where seventy-three
surprised Federals stacked arms without firing a shot. From Fredericktown, after
waiting a day for General Price to come up, he marched swiftly northward, met a
large body of Federals near Farmington-which had been taken the day before, with
its garrison, by Captains Reck Johnson and Shaw-and drove the enemy, with heavy
loss, through the town. Pressing on that night to the Iron Mountain Railroad,
Colonel Elliott was sent to destroy the large bridge at Irondale, and Colonel
Gordon the one at Mineral Point. Elliott went to work with his usual energy,
burnt the huge structure, fought four or five hundred Federals coming to attack
him from every direction, and returned from the left toward Shelby, burdened
with prisoners,
yet destroying the
railroad thoroughly as he came. Gordon found a brigade of A. J. Smith's corps at
Mineral Point, attacked it fiercely with his single regiment, drove it with
severe loss toward St. Louis, burnt the bridge, with two other smaller ones, and
came back from the right destroying everything before him.
Meanwhile, Shelby, in
the center, between these two regiments, seized the railroad at a point four
miles from Potosi, attacked, but was too late to capture a locomotive and four
cars loaded with three hundred infantry (the advance having Captain Rayburn
wounded and two or three killed), and commenced the dreadful work of
destruction. All the long day it continued. The iron was torn from the yielding
ties, twisted and rent into ungainly shapes and piled upon the sleepers to be
ruined by fire. Telegraph poles, wires, cattle stops,
bridges,
trestle-work, depots, cars, cord-wood, ties, and heavy timbers were given to the
flames, which swept everything in their intensity. Great, dense columns of smoke
wound slowly up among the clouds and darkened the air with falling cinders and
charred fragments of wood. A brigade was deployed at a time upon the track; each
man stood at the end of a tie; the rails were broken above and below, when, with
one vast exertion of concentrated strength and with a mighty upheaving, the
entire bed of the road was torn from its firm foundation and hurled-grinding,
crushing, crashing down steep embankments into the mud and water below. For an
extent of many miles nothing remained but the yellow earth where once ran rapid
trains and freight-loaded cars. From the ruin and desolation of the railroad,
General Shelby made a dash at Potosi, drove its garrison into the court-house
and ordered Collins to unlimber at a distance of three hundred yards. Eight
Parrott shells decided the struggle, and up went a white flag, whiter than the
faces of twenty-two dead sleeping quietly below. Four hundred Federals
surrendered. Shelby camped in and near -the town, and after dark the various
scouting parties sent out in the morning to work mischief, began to return.
Lieutenant Selby Plattenburg, with only thirty men, had been up toward Irondale
and met a hundred and fifty Federals escorting eleven wagons loaded with
supplies. Undeterred by the heavy odds
against him, he
charged the detachment, dispersed it, captured forty-two, and returned to camp
bringing with him the prisoners and the teams. From every direction they poured
in. Officers Toney, Dickey, Adams, Lane, Crispin, Will Moorman, Tom Walton, Will
Gregg, Charley Lewis, Franklin, Gillett, Marchbanks, Kelly, Sears, Meadows,
Coyle, Burt, Redd and Langhorne brought the terrified and surprised militia to
General Shelby, until eleven hundred blue-coats were huddled together awaiting,
as they fully believed, immediate death. The one depot at Potosi, with the
branch track, cars, and machine-shops were given to the flames. Vainly awaiting
at Potosi, for orders from General Price, General Shelby grew uneasy nnd
restive. He had swiftly and decidedly executed the work marked out for him, and
had remained twenty-four hours for instructions which were due upon his arrival.
Still not hearing, he turned back toward Pilot Knob, intending, if not
communicating with General Price, to march on to. that place, which he knew had
been attacked. At Caledonia the advance of Marmaduke's division was met in
pursuit of Ewing's forces, which had, by some mistaken generalship, been allowed
to escape from Pilot Knob. It seems that General Price moved against Ironton on
the morning of October 26th, and drove the Federals into the town, but they
evacuated Fort Curtis, an unimportant work between Arcadia and Ironton, during
the night, and took position in Fort Davidson, at Pilot Knob, one mile from
Ironton. This was an ugly, angular fort, too, surrounded by a deep, wide ditch
partially filled with water, almost impossible to get over at any time, and
doubly difficult, certainly, under the fire of artillery and musketry. General
Price's determination to attack was made suddenly and against the wishes of his
subordinates. Marmaduke, far east from Fredericktown, was ordered to march west
to this place, where upon his arrival were further orders bidding him prepare
for the assault upon Pilot Knob.
On the 27th, the
skirmishers were driven from Shepherd's Mountain, and portions of the two
divisions of Fagan and Marmaduke charged the fort right gallantly. The assault
was repulsed with loss, but the investment and the fire from the assaulting
lines continued until dark, and all the day of the 28th. At nightfall Ewing
silently destroyed his magazines and retreated with his whole force toward
Rolla, very much surprised, no doubt, at finding his road perfectly open and not
a sentinel to dispute the passage. Pursuit was not attempted until the night
following the next day, when Ewing had passed through Caledonia on his life or
death retreat. Had pursuit been at once ordered and Shelby notified of the
escape,
Ewing could have been
crushed like a nutshell between two divisions and the defeat at Pilot Knob fully
avenged. But getting no orders at all, nor even hearing of the success or defeat
of the rest of' the army, Shelby returned like a true soldier to where he
thought danger the greatest, and arrived too late to meet Ewing before he had
turned from the road leading to Potosi. When at last ordered to pursue, General
Marmaduke advanced rapidly with Shelby from Caledonia, and, after a short rest,
the two divisions pressed on all the long and weary night of the 29th. Ewing's
rear was struck about daylight and vigorously attacked, but retreating over a
splendidly defensive road-for it ran between two large streams, often flanked by
perpendicular cliffs of great height, he could not be reached at all except by
charging down upon the rear in column of fours; yet, under the many great
disadvantages, General Marmaduke pressed him sorely until nearly night, when
Shelby took the lead and made a last grand charge upon the tired Federals. It
was too late, however. Darkness came down thick and impenetrable.
Ewing reached the
Southwest Branch at Leesburg, and threw up heavy fortifications during the
night. Not desiring possibly to attack him the next morning in a splendid
position, and behind formidable works, with men who had marched forty-eight
hours and fasted twenty-four, General Marmaduke withdrew toward Union,
destroying all munitions of war falling into his hands that were not . needed in
the equipment and supply of his own troops.
Pilot Knob, barren
and harsh as its aspects were, had yet lavished upon it much of noble blood.
Fighting in the front as he always fought, fell Major G. W. Bennett, mortally
wounded. His
name had been
associated ever in his brigade with deeds of knightly daring, and the purity of
his stainless life had endeared him to all.
Tears fell fast about
the bleeding soldier, borne from his last battlefield to die, and many
powder-stained lips murmured tenderly:
"Ah I soldier, to
your honored rest,
Your truth and valor
bearing i
The bravest are the
tenderest,
The loving are the
daring."
Lieutenant Colonel
John C. Bull, a dashing young officer, and who had fought his way step by step
up from the ranks, was severely wounded while leading his regiment gallantly
upon the fortifications. Colonel Monroe, another splendid officer, of Cabell's
brigade, was severely wounded, as was Major Thomas, Fagan's able and popular
chief-of-staff. Cabell's brigade suffered greatly in the charge upon the
earthwork, the General himself having his horse killed. Among those conspicuous
for their dashing courage in this assault, none towered higher than Major John
C. Moore, of Marmaduke's staff. At one time, having to carry an order over a
rocky and precipitous hill, swept continually by the bullets of the enemy at
point-blank
range, his death
appeared inevitable. Refusing to dismount at the entreaty of his friends, he
coolly rode along the entire ridge, receiving the fire from five hundred
muskets, seeming to be exhilarated by the danger and bent on accomplishing his
bravado.
It has been asserted
by some of Ewing's officers that, upon the appearance of General Price's forces,
a consultation was held to consider the question of surrender, and that the
alternative was to be chosen in the event of the investment being made complete.
General Price failing in this by leaving open one broad main road-the very road
of all others most desirable for Ewing's purposes-he simply marched out and away
without the least difficulty. General Ewing fought splendidly, too, after
getting well on his retreat. He had great advantage in the formation of the
country over which his road ran, yet his pursuers greatly outnumbered his little
band, and might have ridden over it a dozen times after it was overtaken.
General Marmaduke's
failure to do this arose from the fact that he desired General Clark, who was
new with the cavalry, to learn something about its management, and, therefore,
gave into his hands the entire control of the pursuit. This was unfortunate, and
prevented the capture of Fletcher, whose election it was most desirable to
prevent. After Shelby moved to the front it was too late to accomplish anything,
and Ewing escaped handsomely, as he deserved to do after his exhibitions of such
indomitable pluck and endurance.
The execution of
Major Wilson at Pilot Knob was an act of eminent justice, for he was a common
murderer, and entirely destitute of manly and soldierly feelings. It is by no
means certain
that his death was
authorized by General Price, although, as the commander-in-chief, he was, to a
limited degree, responsible for it. Colonel Reeves, at whose door the Bin lies,
had a heavy score to settle with all those southeast commanders, and Wilson was
hung first, or shot first, because he was captured first. General Shelby camped
his command one night, on the upward march, around the house of Captain Leper,
and, after taking charge of his forage and supplies, looked also to his papers
and his official correspondence, among which was an order signed by this Major
Wilson, directing Leper to take eighty men, dress them in "butternut" clothing,
march with them to White river, find out the intention of the '.' rebels" under
Shelby, and on his return burn every mill, building, grain stack, and hay rack
on the road, closing mysteriously with the following words underscored: "And you
know I don't like to be troubled with prisoners." Among other letters were quite
a number from the Ron. Charles Drake, United States Senator from Missouri,
urging Leper to do his work thoroughly and well. These letters, together with
Wilson's, are now in the hands of ex-Governor Thomas C. Reynolds, at present
residing in the city of Mexico, but who will, in due time, present them to the
world, with other startling and damaging facts concerning the atrocities
perpetrated by Federal soldiers in Missouri. Six brave and innocent soldiers,
privates Jas. W. Gates, Geo. T. Bunch, H. H. Blackburn, John Nichols, Chas. W.
Minnikin, and Asa V. Ladd, were taken from the prison in St. Louis and executed
in retaliation for the death of Wilson. Three of these-Gates, Bunch, and
Nichols-belonged to Shelby's division, and were true and splendid men, always in
the regular army, and never, at any time, acting with guerrilla. organizations.
Blackburn, Minnikin,
and Ladd were fearless Arkansans, and regulars of four years' service. Young
Minnikin was from Batesville, and an excellent and worthy man. Young Nichols
belonged to Shanks' regiment, where he had a brother, and where he had made many
friends. They all died as they had lived-manly, courageous, and steadfast.
Rosecrans may have made Wilson's sleep sweeter in eternity by his wanton and
barbarous cruelty, but how about the slumbers of those Federals executed for the
six men murdered in St. Louis? They sleep in unknown graves from Jefferson City
to Newtonia., clinching with an argument stronger than life the trite philosophy
which makes a rule a poor rule unless it works both ways.
The army again
reunited at Union, which had been attacked before Shelby arrived, by General
Clark, who permitted the garrison to escape probably because he did not know how
to capture it. And why should he? Recently promoted from the infantry, he had
little of that sprightliness and dash so essential for a cavalry officer.
At this place the
division, was strengthened by a regiment recently recruited in Southeast
Missouri and commanded by Colonel Alonzo W. Slayback. It was composed of a lot
of dashing, fighting young fellows, and led by a young and brilliant officer
whose exploits before had been noted, and whose daring actions upon the
battlefield had been conspicuous. He liked war for its pomp and circumstance,
and courted danger for its fascination and its perils. Thoroughly devoted to the
cause; every feeling of his heart and every idea of his active mind thoroughly
alive to the struggles and intentions of his country, he aimed constantly at
that which would give her the most advantage and her arms the most renown.
Braving many dangers and making many sacrifices, he penetrated with a few chosen
spirits into the very heart of Missouri-far into the enemy's lines-and harassed,
surrounded, fought and outlawed
-he yet rose superior
to his enemies, gathered around him a good, brave regiment and brought it to
General Shelby that he might place it side by side with the tried and scarred
veterans of the old brigade. Shelby knew that the men commanded by Slayback
would soon come up to the proper standard, and this confidence was never
betrayed. On many bloody fields their deportment and devotion were remarkable.
They immediately began the arduous detail duties of veterans, drilled on the
march, and in the hurry and fatigue which marked nearly all the rest of the
campaign, they never once faltered in the fight, nor failed to keep up their end
of the line. They readily assimilated .themselves to the men of the other
regiments, and shared with them their characteristic devotion to the cause and
their cherished leader-for Shelby had a magic power over the hearts and the
affections of his soldiers which was as powerful as it was mysterious.
To this regiment the
sturdy and gallant Captain Prewett brought a company, as did also the able
Captains Woods, Price, Whalen, and six other young soldiers from Missouri.
Earnest and energetic, and by constant drill and discipline, they soon gave to
the new regiment its veteran ardor and its steady bearing. From the town of
Union, Shelby's division again led the advance, stormed Linn and captured its
garrison of three hundred and seventy-two Federals, scouted the country for
miles around, and struck terror into the Dutch and militia, surprised almost
into idiocy. From Linn, Colonel Shanks was sent with the old brigade to destroy
the gigantic bridge over the Osage river, which he did in fine style, dispersed
and put to the sword its defenders, fired the wood-work, and beat the blind old
piers prone into the water. Then coming swiftly back he reunited at Westphalia
with Shelby, who had taken the town, driven out its garrison of one regiment,
and made many prisoners. General Price coming slowly on-too slowly, alas! for
the nature and success of the expedition-ordered Shelby to force a passage
of the Osage and
drive in all outlying detachments into Jefferson City. Four miles above the
point selected for the essay was stationed a regiment of the enemy, at a little
ford known as Castle Rock. To this point Gordon was ordered, with instructions
to get over nolens volens, disperse
the defenders, and march down immediately to attack in flank the real opposition
in front of Shelby. At the main crossing on· the direct road to the State
capital, General Shelby, silently and unobserved, masked his battery just on the
edge of the southern shore, formed Elliott in column to dash across under cover
of the guns, then Shanks was to advance with the rest of the brigade while he
followed with Jackman in reserve. Heavy fighting was expected at this vital
avenue to the city, and much precaution was necessary. Nothing could excel the
terrible accuracy and rapidity of Collins' fire. The enemy beyond, startled
into consciousness of
danger by the exploding shells, gave back for one single moment and abandoned
their strong positions on the river. That moment became dreadfully fatal.
Elliott sprang away waist deep through the water covered by Collins' fire,
gained firm ground beyond and went fighting into line at a gallop. Shanks
followed with no less eagerness, and it was time. The Federals massed on Elliott
and bore him back slowly but painfully, his best men falling all around him.
Shanks ordered a charge along the whole line, rescued Elliott and drove back the
defenders of the crossing with heavy loss. The enemy, largely reinforced, "would
not drive worth a cent," as poor Shanks afterward expressed it, death almost
shadowing his pale brow with its dark wings, and he reformed his lines for
another charge. The word was given, and Shanks leading far ahead, his hat off
before his own Iron Brigade, and his eyes abaze with a battle-light, cheered on
the fight. It was hot and pitiless while it lasted, but the Confederates
triumphed; the enemy's lines gave way, and just in the very moment of victory,
just as a wild shout
of joy went up to sober, ashen skies, Shanks fell dreadfully wounded, a Minnie
bullet through his dauntless breast. It would have been difficult, I think, to
have found another, among living men, both by constitution and temperament, so
inaccessible to physical terrors as David Shanks, and when he fell heavily to
the earth, shot clean and clear from his saddle, the old light was in his eyes
and the old smile upon his face. There he lay bleeding fearfully upon the cold,
damp ground, the red sun of autumn shining fitfully upon his upturned face, pale
and drawn with agony. Away to the front, that regiment which loved him so, and
that brigade which he had seen created but would never lead any more, were
rushing on with wild shouts of vengeance. I do not know whether he heard them
then, for he seemed to be listening eagerly for another voice and straining his
eyes in another direction.
Very soon General
Shelby came to the fatal spot, and all Shanks' features, wan and worn with pain,
were lighted up with a tenderness and joy inexpressible, as his loved leader
bent over him with a heart too sick for words.
There lay the great
Federal giant, not four rods away, who had shot him, mortally wounded by Shanks'
own hand before he fell. The parting was solemn and deeply sad. A few words of
hope he did not feel; a few tears hot and scalding from eyes unused to weep-a
long, lingering, fond good-bye, and Shelby rode swiftly away, not daring to look
back upon the spot where he had left his flower of chivalry; his steadfast and
unwavering friend; the chosen leader of the old brigade; the reckless fighter;
the tender heart; the generous comrade; the tried warrior; the accomplished
soldier; and the Ney of the division. Devoted companions like Lute McKinney
remained to share his fate, and he was gently carried from the field never to
rejoin his
command again. But
his fall had been well avenged. No more halts, no more reinforcements checked
the headlong gallop now, and the Federals, ridden over and dispersed, finally
escaped by fragments into Jefferson City.
Gordon, at Castle
Rock, with the indefatigable Captain Will Moorman in advance, had hot work, too.
Encountering three companies on the south side of the Osage, he attacked and
drove them into the water, where few escaped death by bullet or drowning. His
passage was contested stoutly, but crossing fifty men above and below this
point-they came almost simultaneously upon "the flanks, and the Federals
thinking an entire brigade upon them, hastily abandoned the position, pursued by
Gordon to the road down which were retreating
the enemy driven
before Shelby's furious squadrons. Gordon soon learning how matters stood, came
on toward Shelby, hemming in between them a battalion of infantry, too hard
pressed to retreat rapidly, and destroyed it with scarcely an effort.
General Price,
notified of the passage of the Osage, advanced during the night, while Shelby
camped in line of battle six miles from Jefferson City, having slept little and
fought hard for three days and nights. Even here he received orders to cover the
front, and sent Jackman's brigade forward for the purpose. Before the army had
reunited again in front of Jefferson City, Cabell's brigade had burned the
railroad bridge at Franklin, over the Merrimac, and repulsed a brigade of
Smith's corps; while General Marmaduke, on the 4th of October, burned the bridge
over the Gasconade and captured a. large train on the Pacific Railroad, loaded
principally with ..ums and ammunition.
Early on the morning
of October 7th-Fagan's division in front, and Cabell's brigade in
advance-General Price moved against the capital of his State, and, after severe
fighting, drove the outlying Federals full into their works. Fagan lost
severely, and some of his best officers and men were killed and wounded. The
city, invested from the west, lay plainly in sight, its huge capitol dome,
crowned with the stars and stripes, rising in grim defiance heavenward. Everyone
felt sure that the works were to be assaulted at daylight on the 8th, and
accordingly said his prayers very quietly and waited for the word. Shelby,
holding the extreme left, sent a heavy force, under Lieutenant Colonel McDaniel,
to the Pacific Railroad, who destroyed the telegraph and several bridges, and
drove back into the city, with loss, a large detachment of Federal cavalry.
Daylight came and the sun rose broad and clear, yet no forward movement
was ordered, and
finally, about ten o'clock, instructions were received to march westward. On
picket from Shelby's division, and almost within the corporation limits of
Jefferson City, stood the grim old warrior, Colonel J. A. Schnable. When ordered
to withdraw he was furiously attacked by two cavalry regiments and had to fight
alone for dear life. Twice he charged the enemy swarming out to surround him,
falling back step by step, and at last, shot three times, his horse killed,
eighteen of his detachment dead, he reached his division bloody and covered with
the dust and dirt of the fall. All the day of the 8th, the Federals followed the
rear of General Price's army, General Cabell protecting it in admirable style,
and heavy skirmishing ensued continually; but they gained no advantage and
retired back to Jefferson City at dark. The abandonment of the attack upon the
capital was certainly fortunate, for the army had somehow concluded that the
city could not be taken, although its garrison consisted of militia, utterly
worthless for sober fighting; while the prestige of the event would have
contributed largely to the success of the plan of operations for which the
expedition had been inaugurated. A fatal policy was commenced, however, in its
very inception, and like the shirt of Nessus, clung to it until irretrievable
ruin and disaster swallowed up the whole. This policy consisted of a slowness of
movement and fickleness of purpose totally incomprehensible. A formidable body
of cavalry, well armed and mounted, made at the highest only twelve miles per
day up to this time, accompanied by at least five hundred wagons and five
thousand" deadheads," loafers, and amateur cavalry gentlemen. By a rapid march
from Pocahontas, at the rate of thirty miles per day, and the leaving of Pilot
Knob unattacked, General Price might haTe surprised St. Louis and found
Jefferson City without a garrison.
THE WAR IN THE WEST.
CHAPTER XXII.
SEPARATING again from
the main army, General Shelby took California, burned the depot and several
cars, galloped on to Booneville, drove in its pickets and invested the
court-house, held by four hundred State militia. This building was well
fortified, surrounded by a stockade, the streets were barricaded leading to it,
and the walls pierced by innumerable loop-holes. A charge upon these
obstructions would cost too many precious lives, and he prepared to bombard it,
as the night was gathering and time was valuable. Matrons having sons there and
beautiful girls having brothers and sweethearts there crowded about General
Shelby, and implored him in melting tones and with streaming eyes to send a flag
of truce demanding surrender. They declared that most of the garrison were
impressed into the ranks, and anxious to lay down their arms. The struggle with
Shelby was severe, but ended as everyone expected, and he consented-although he
had sworn over and over again before that white flags should always come from
the enemy. The mission to the fort was a perilous one, and Captain Thomas W.
Shields volunteered for its accomplishment. As he went down to the barricades,
waving a little white handkerchief over his head, the confusion within was
unprecedented in a besieged garrison. Some cried shoot him and leveled their
guns-some shouted truce and knocked the guns up. Shields never wavered a moment,
nor lost his wonderful nerve and self-possession. When at last heard he stated
his mission, and demanded immediate and unconditional surrender in the name of
Brigadier General Shelby. After a little parleying, and a visit to General
Shelby in person by a delegation from the fort, the terms were arranged as he
dictated, and then the Confederates were in quiet possession of the town-the
second time in two years it had delivered its keys into the merciful hands of
Shelby. Among the many valuable things captured was a large steamboat, soon to
be used in crossing and recrossing troops. Price arrived the next day, and the
entire army camped in and around the town. The following morning the
bushwhackers began to pour in. Anderson, the hero of a recent brilliant fight at
Centralia, brought probably three hundred men. Quantrell came over to compare
notes, and the hitherto quiet town of Booneville put on its holiday attire,
while gay uniforms and rich regimentals were everywhere to be seen, and over all
and above all waved a flag" that was new to the seas."
The guerrilla
organization of Missouri needs a word in its defense, although its warfa.re was
pitiless", its banner the black flag, and its battle-cry the fearful
monosyllable Death. Composed of men driven to desperation by the unceasing
persecutions of Federals and militia, they had been outlawed and hunted from
county to county as rabid animals. Their scalps commanded a premium, and their
mutilated bodies were denied sepulture. Revenge is believed by philosophers to
be one of the strongest passions of the human heart, and when stimulated by
grievous wrongs, and fanned into flame within the bosoms of men having Western
ideas and developments, it naturally becomes cruel and unsparing. It made
honorable men desert the army, that they might lose the uncertainty of regular
battle, and have the grim satisfaction of knowing that death followed the shots
of their own revolvers and the thrusts of their own knives. They accepted the
black flag as an emblem, because it suited their ideas of murder-and having no
hope themselves, they left none to their victims. In an association composed of
men driven from all natural feelings by numberless outrages, some crimes would
creep in, and often innocent persons were killed and Southern families
plundered; but as a general thing the leaders, like the gladiators under
Spartacus, only shouted, "Kill, kill!" upon the bodies of their persecutors.
Quantrell had the memory of a murdered brother;
Anderson the image of
a fair-haired sister crushed among the falling timbers of a house where she had
been imprisoned by Yankee hate; and Younger saw in his dreams a father's hoary
hair all dabbled in his blood. Shelby only condemned guerrilla warfare as it
called down destruction on the helpless, and when they were with the regular
army they were invaluable as scouts and spies. A nation to be free must be
willing to use" the knife, the cord, the bowl," and what was fair for McNeill,
Sheridan, Butler, and Lyon, was fair for Quantrell, Poole, Todd, Anderson, and
Blunt.
A great howl went up
over .sacked and desolated Lawrence, but not a pious Puritan marred the
platitude of his sleek, meek face by Crowning at the enormities in Jackson,
Bates, Cass, and Johnson counties in Missouri. White plethoric eyes rolled
horrified heavenward when Anderson's death charge rolled over that lone prairie
by Centralia town-terrible as the yawn of' an earthquake-but those same eyes
glittered gladly with a sanctimonious twinkle when Palmyra's butchery was done,
and McNeill had smeared his hands in innocent and accusing blood. A brief
relation of this horrible affair may be read with a mournful interest. Colonel
Porter captured Palmyra late in the fall of 1863, and during his occupation of
the town one Andrew Allsman, an ex-soldier of the 3d Missouri Federal Cavalry,
and a spy; informer, guide, traitor, and scoundrel generally-was spirited away,
no one ever knew how nor where.
McNeill re-entered
Palmyra upon its evacuation by Colonel Porter, confined ten worthy and good men
captured from Porter's command, issued a notice to Porter dated October 8th,
informing him that unless Allsman was returned within ten days from the date
thereof, the prisoners then in his possession should be executed. W. R. Strachan
was the Provost Marshal, and was just as cruel and just as bloodthirsty as his
master. Allsman was not returned-indeed, Porter never saw this notice until the
men were shot--and even had it been placed before him, the rendition of Allsman
was an impossibility, for he knew nothing whatever of the man required to be
produced. Deaf to all petitions; steeled against every prayer for mercy, eager
and swift to act, McNeill ordered the execution at the end of the appointed
time. Ten brave, good men-Willis Baker, Thos. Humston, Morgan Bixler, John Y.
McPheeters, Herbert Hudson,
Captain Thomas A.
Snider, Eleazer Lake, and Hiram Smith were led out for the death shots.
Fearless, proud and noble in their bearing, these innocent and excellent
soldiers were sacrificed to the whim of a butcher, and to satisfy the cravings
of a foreign and brutal soldiery. They met death without a shudder, willing to
yield upon their country's altar the lives that had been devoted to her service.
A young Spartan-one of the above mentioned men-volunteered to take the place of
an old man whose family was large and helpless j was accepted, and untouched by
the heroism of the boy, and indifferent to one of the finest exhibitions of
chivalry upon record-McNeill and Strachan ordered his execution with the rest,
thus covering their
names with everlasting infamy.
The workings of
Providence are generally mysterious, and curious ways are taken sometimes to
repay that vengeance which "belongeth to the Lord." Upon McNeill's head no bolt
fell-one reason, perhaps, is to be found in the fact that he studiously and
persistently kept that head away from danger-and the history of mankind is
filled with instances of hired bravos like Strachan living to a. good old age j
but a. useful lesson might be learned from the following: About daylight, on the
morning of August 20, 1863, Quantrell, with three hundred men, dashed into the
streets of Lawrence, Kansas. Flame and bullet, waste and pillage, terror and
despair were everywhere. Two hundred were killed. Death was a monarch, and men
bowed down and worshipped him. Blood ran in rivulets. The guerrillas were
unerring shots with revolvers, and excellent horsemen. General Lane saved
himself by flight; General Collamore took refuge in a. well and died there. Poor
Collamore! He should have kept away from the well upon the principle that
actuated the mother who had no objection to her boy's learning
how to swim, if he
didn't go near the water. Printers and editors Buffered. Speer, of the Tribune;
Palmer, of the Journal; Trask, of the State Journal, hadn't time even to write
their obituaries. Two canips of instruction for white and negro soldiers, on
Massachusetts street (of course), were surrounded and all their occupants
killed. Every hotel, except the City Hotel, was burned. Other property, valued
at two million dollars, wail also fired and consumed. The women were not
molested in any manner, and some of them, by their courage and presence of mind
saved those who were dear to them. A Miss Stone there-supposed, at first, to be
Lucy Stone -was sought for that she might deliver a short lecture upon the
efficacy of fire as applied to Kansas cities, but not wearing breeches, and
being really handsome and elegant, the wrong Miss Stone was left undisturbed.
Massachusetts street was made a mass of
smouldering ruins and
crumbling walls. Sometimes there is a great deal in a name-in this instance more
than is generally the case. After killing every male inhabitant who remained in
Lawrence, after burning the houses in the town and those directly around it,
Quantrell very quietly withdrew his men into Missouri and rested there,
followed, however, at a safe distance by General Lane, who made terrible
threats, but miserable fulfillments. Two hundred white abolitionists, fifty or
sixty negroes, and two millions of dollars worth of property were fearful
aggregates of losses. Truly, McNeill's butchery was bearing terrible fruit!
Riding and slashing
promiscuously about the State until late in September, always killing and
surprising the enemy, Quantrell moved southward for rest and recuperation during
the long, cold winter months. On the 6th of October, General Blunt, his band,
escort, and baggage train were encountered near Fort Webster by these same
destroyers of Lawrence, charged-the escort routed and its members, together with
the musicians, teamsters, and cooks, were all killed. Blunt saved himself only
by the swiftness of his horse. His Adjutant General, Major Curtis, was among the
captured. "Spare me," he pleaded to Quantrell. "Look at this," replied
Quantrell, drawing from his pocket an order from General Curtiss commanding his
soldiers to put to death any and nIl of Quantrell's men, no matter where or
when. This order was signed also by Major Curtis, as Acting Adjutant General.
Quantrell continued, drawing his pistol: "Did you write this?"
"Yes."
" Would you have
obeyed it?"
"Yes." In two moments
more Major Curtis fell heavily, shot clean and clear through the forehead. With
him was one of Frank Leslie's artists-a Mr. O'Neill. He had among his sketches a
half finished picture of some hypothetical battle, in which, as was usual for
Leslie, were to be seen rebels in flight-panic stricken and overwhelmed-with
valiant "boys in blue" slashing about heroically with sabers, and spitting the
lagging Confederates with bayonets as a French cook' spits an ortolan. Poor
O'Neill! He had seen his last Donnybrook Fair, and painted his last battle-scene
for the conscientious and accurate Leslie. Blunt lost his battle-flag-a
magnificent silk standard, given by the ladies of Leavenworth-his sword, and one
hundred and thirty-two of his best men. Quantrell had two men killed. But, after
this digression, it is necessary to hasten back to Booneville. General Marmaduke
had a pretty little fight at California with a
large column of
Federal cavalry, and handled it so roughly, after he got at it, that the
horsemen were fain to scamper away in hot haste. At ten o'clock, on the 11th,
the pickets on the Tipton road were driven in, and General Pleasanton made a
bold push for the town. Fagan met him, and at last drove the enemy several miles
back upon the road. Shelby, who had formed in expectation of a general
engagement, asked permission to make a circuit, gain Pleasanton's rear, and
destroy him. General Price gave the order, but after a. forced march of fifteen
miles, it was discovered that the enemy had definitely retreated. Jackman's
brigade, however, was left on the Tipton road, with orders to move at daylight,
on the 12th, ten miles
toward that town, and
attack the enemy wherever encountered.
Jackman ha.d scarcely
advanced half the required distance, when he met Pleasanton in full force, and a
severe battle began instantly. It lasted two hours, with uncertain success, when
Jackman drove everything before him for five miles by a splendid charge, killing
and capturing many of the enemy. His own loss was heavy, but the punishment
inflicted upon Pleasanton this day made him ever afterward timid and cautious of
attack.
During the occupation
of Booneville, Captain Shoemaker, the commander of the garrison captured by
General Shelby, was taken from his house and killed-when, too, he had a parole
in his pocket, and was under the protection of the plighted honor of a
Confederate officer. Shelby became justly indignant and used every means in his
power to discover the offenders, but without success. That Shoemaker deserved
death no one there would deny; but that he met it after his surrender was
accepted and his arms taken from him, every honorable soldier condemned as
unfortunate and calculated to work injury upon the helpless Southerners. The
assassination was planned and probably executed at the instigation Of some
citizens, and it was urged as an excuse for the act that Shoemaker and a squad
of his militia had hung a gray-headed old man in Cooper county. .
The three days spent
at Booneville were certainly delightful, but fraught with time misspent and
delays pregnant with disaster. Clark and his brigade were sent across from
Booneville to the other side of the river, and ordered to march into Northwest
Missouri; operate on the North Missouri Railroad; recruit from every source of
supply; and take such towns and make such battles 8S he deemed prudent and
necessary, while the rest of the army moved directly west on the south side.
Arriving at Salt Fork, in Saline county, without seeing a Federal, General Price
again went into camp.
Before reaching the
position at Salt Fork, General Price was assured of large bodies of troops
concentrating to crush him, and of Rosecrans having taken the field in person.
It was necessary to recall Clark before he had effected much, that the forces of
the expedition might be well in hand and prepared for emergencies. General
Clark, in the vicinity of Glasgow, which was held by a strong garrison, and
having, beside, a large force in his rear, must cross soon .or be pressed to the
wall, and, unfortunately-Glasgow was the only available point. He resolved to
attack it and hazard the consequences of repulse. Luckily, indeed, that its
defenses were commanded by an officer without experience, destitute of tenacity,
and filled more with the wiles of a politician th&n the energies of a
soldier. General or Colonel Chester Harding, jr.-it is hard to tell which-for
the shoulder-strapped militia of Missouri were more proverbial for titles than
for wounds-had succeeded General Ford, of Colorado regiment notoriety, and held
Glasgow with about eight hundred soldiers. This force, with the covering of the
houses and the
fortifications, was .ample to hold the town, and in the hands of Ford, or any
other skillful and stubborn officer, entirely competent to repulse the attack of
General Clark.
GenE!ral Shelby
received orders late in the evening of the 14th to take two pieces of artillery
and two hundred men, reach Glasgow precisely at daylight and open fire upon the
town. Jackman's brigade was on the north side of the Missouri river under Clark,
its leader having sought and obtained permission at Booneville to take his
battle-scarred regiments through their own country that their ranks might be
refilled. General Jeff. Thompson, too, who had been assigned to the command of
Shelby's old brigade, after the fall of the lamented Shanks, had also been
ordered to attack Sedalia, destroy the railroad, and strike the left flank of
any Federals approaching Lexington from toward Warrensburg. Thus Shelby's
division, though doing incessant and bloody service collectively, was divided
into three or more parts in order that each one, still retaining the fire and
devotion of the whole, might invigorate and
encourage other
commands less used to hardships and peril. . General Shelby was ahead of time,
and when had he ever failed to understand an order or to execute it to the
letter ? Not surely on this campaign. The march had been wearisome and bitter
cold. Over the vast fertile prairies of good old Saline, his little band, guided
by veterans of his old regiment, whose homes were even in sight-Elliott, Haynie,
Bruce, Thompson, Ridenbaugh, Darr, Garrett, and many others of old Company E,
stole unawares upon the sleeping town of Glasgow, the dark steamboats lying
quietly at the wharf, and the domes and spires gleaming faintly through the
river mist. Just above the town bright camp fires gleamed over the water,
obscured now and then by dark forms aroused from fitful and chilling slumbers.
Collins Garefully trained his guns upon these smouldering fires, knowing too
well that many manly forms were lying wrapped in blankets all about the cheery
embers. It seem I'll like sacrilege to rouse the dreaming city by burst of shot
and scream of shell. What hopes and fears, what joys and sorrows,
what pains and
pleasures were covered there with the kind sweet mantle of darkness, and lulled
softly to rest by the mute wooings of invisible sleep. Gray heads peacefully at
rest on the smoothed pillows easy with age; tired children dreaming of apples on
the morrow and rabbit-snares out in the woods where the frosts have fallen;
maiden innocence in rosy slumbers smiling as some voice sweeter than others are
breaks on her ear in silvery speech, telling through lips of bearded bloom the
soft low tales she loves the best; false coquettes-darkness" hanging down in the
length of their hair and shadowing their perjured lips," and the newly married
dozing away the halcyon honeymoon nights, as the husband puts out his hand
through the air of the perfumed room to fondle his wife's long electric strands
and tell her the pleasant story of the four year's war.
The necessities of
the case here admitted of no delay. Ordered to make a diversion in favor of
Clark, General Shelby knew too well the value of surprise and the sudden panic
given to sleeping soldiers by the noise and crashing of exploding shells. The
houses most exposed to artillery were those used for barracks, officers'
quarters, and quartermaster and commissary supplies. Upon these the guns were
directed and every pa.ins taken to avoid striking the private dwellings.
Besides, the fire upon the camp above the town and upon
the steamer opposite
was kept up sufficiently long to give the noncombatants, most endangered, an
opportunity of escaping beyond range.
Collins opened fire
just as daylight came tripping over the purple hills, and the bursting shells
tore through the silent camp, scattering coals and blazing wood among the living
and the dead. The garrison soon turned out in force, having recovered from the
first effects of a night attack when learning that a large river ran between
danger and the town. Collins and his skirmishing supports, under Langhorne and
Schnable, were deployed upon a naked beach of sand, in plain view of Glasgow,
and the river at this point being very narrow,
the fire concentrated
upon them from concealed sharpshooters was quite severe. As General Clark had
not arrived, and 1108 this kind of fighting could avail but little, Shelby
determined upon making an effort to carryover his own troops and capture the
town.
Having this purpose
in view, McCoy, Ed. Burr, Wave Anderson, Shelby's ordnance officer, Lieutenant
Selby Plattenburg, and Lieutenant Carrington, a gallant young Arkansan, attached
to the staff, manned a large skiff found somewhere along the shore, and put off
under fire for the nearest steamer, intending to get up steam and ferry over the
soldiers. He had sent to General Price for ammunition and reinforcements, which
would arrive in the evening probably, thus giving him until night to perfect his
arrangements. McCoy's adventure became one of extreme peril. Bullets hissed
around the frail bark and flecked the water with little spurts of foam flying up
white in the sunlight; but the boat was reached in safety only to find her
machinery purposely deranged by the engineer, when his flight had been hastened
by the roar of artillery. The boat soon became too hot for McCoy and his bold
companions, and they paddled back again in safety under a rapid but harmless
musketry fire. On reaching the steamer the first object which met McCoy's eyes
was an Italian, perfectly pitiable in his helpless fright. He had piled some
half a dozen Cane· bottom chairs in an uncouth barrier in the cabin and was
crouching behind them moaningly, his swarthy features livid and convulsive. "Lie
there," said McCoy, soothingly," Collins hadn't a shell in his limber box that
will penetrate your chairs."
Directly, Clark's
guns were heard away over in rear of the town, and the garrison evinced feelings
of uneasiness and alarm. The cavalry dashed about the streets, seemingly without
purpose and under no definite orders, peppered continually by Shelby's steady
marksmen. Harding marched out to meet the new danger, and took a strong position
covering the approaches to his trust. Jackman attacked him in fine style, drove
him at all points, and followed the advantage rapidly, supported by Clark's
inimitable brigade; but such was the hasty retreat of Harding that those eager
soldiers could scarcely get near enough to deliver fire. When close to the town
General Clark halted to reform his lines, necessarily much broken and scattered
from the peculiarities of the country. His battery was inefficient, owing to the
horrible condition of its ammunition, which had been purchased at Matamoras,
Mexico, by one of Smith's criminal agents, after it had been condemned as
worthless by the French artillery board. The gallant commander, Captain Pratt,
raved and swore, but without avail-bis shells would explode a dozen rods from
his guns and his cannister would burst among the ranks of the skirmishers
deployed in front for protection. During the lull in the battle, a delegation
waited upon General Clark, headed by the great Radical tobacconist, Lewis, and
asked the privilege of going into the town and impressing upon Harding's mind
the necessity of surrender. It was granted, and after some further parleying for
the arrangement of terms, the garrison laid down its arms and General Clark took
quiet possession of the place. During
the negotiations,
however, many large buildings, containing valuable supplies, were fired by the
Federals, and many of tbe cavalrymen, well mounted, escaped by a road leading up
the river.
One of the first
victims of Collins' deadly fire was a Methodist preacher, Mr. Caples, known to
be a devoted Southerner, and who was asleep in the moment of receiving his death
shot. This sorrowful event cast a shadow over the attacking forces, and the
grief could scarcely be assuaged even when considering the nature and
requirements of the public service.
Accompanying General
Shelby on this rapid gallop to Glasgow, were Major Richard Morrison, of General
Price's staff, and Captain Joe Thomas, of the pay department. These two gallant
and jovial officers had been longing a great while for an adventure with
Shelby's rough riders under the midnight stars and by lonesome roads in sudden
hours. To Morrison the career of Shelby had ever a charm and delight. His eyes
would flash with pleasure when recounting the actions of his ideal 01 a soldier,
and there was poetry in his imagery and magic in his voice, when recounting some
charge or dash of Shelby's horsemen. So he and Thomas came eagerly from their
tents upon Salt Fork, chatted and laughed away the night as they rode along, and
all the hot morning of the fight fought side by side with Shelby.
General Clark
recrossed the Missouri river at Glasgow with his entire force, including
Jackman; General Shelby returned to camp at Salt Fork; and then General Price
broke up his bivouac and moved to Waverly, in Lafayette county.
CHAPTER XXIII.
DANGER gathered fast.
Rosecrans had assembled a large army and was advancing from Sedalia; additional
cavalry forces were coming from the direction of Booneville, while Kansas was
ablaze and her cruel militia swarming to the front from the far west. Price must
move on and get these forces in his rear, or be surrounded, overpowered and
destroyed. Before leaving Pocahontas, General Price had asked for. a spy to go
into St. Louis, and Shelby gave him one. Whenever a man for dangerous and
intelligent enterprise was needed, the soldiers of his division were nearly
always selected. No commander on earth ever" knew his man" better than Shelby.
If a scout within the lines of the enemy were required, or a decoy party, or a
small, plucky and effective force to cut telegraph wires, or destroy railroad
connections, or to act as spies within the camp of the enemy, Shelby was certain
to be called upon for a detail, and such was his remarkable penetration, that
the party selected by him rarely, if ever, came to grief, or failed of success.
There was scarcely a day of the time that Shelby's division operated, that he
did not have his soldiers about the very headquarters of the Federals in St.
Louis, and in the various camps and forts along the line he was watching. The
adroit answer, the self-possession, the coolness and nerve necessary to a man
who ventures into places where he may be certain that recognition would be
death, and discovery might stare him in the face at any moment, require that
peculiar address and daring which few men possess, and in which no soldiers ever
excelled those of Shelby's command. The hair-breadth escapes
and cunning exploits
of such men as Brown Williams, Arthur McCoy, James Wills, Newton Hockinsmith
(taken finally in Clayton's post at Pine Bluff, Arkansas), George McCready,
Phil. Wilder, Sid. Martin, Ed. Ward, or anyone of a dozen more I might name, who
were usually detailed for these missions, would fill a larger volume than this
with truths that might appear stranger than fiction.
It was soldiers of
this division who went all through Blunt's and Herron's camp the night following
the Prairie Grove battle, and returned just at daylight with exact information
that was wonderfully obtained. The Federals frequently had obnoxious prisoners
tried and shot as" spies," but those were not Shelby's spies. Often, when just
at the point of capture, a reckless and desperate resistance "saved the bacon"
of a chap who had no other escape, but somehow they always came back to camp, or
"turned up" at the right place.
The spy asked for by
General Price, and given by Shelby, was private James Ward, a brave and
intelligent soldier of the advance under the wounded Thorp and the daring
Williams, and who was afterward a captain in the Old Brigade, in Slayback's
regiment. General Price gave him his instructions minutely. He was to visit
General Rosecrans' headquarters in St. Louis, learn everything relating to
troops and military moveme.nts possible, ascertain the sentiment and
dispositions of the people toward a general uprising, and report at some point
on the Missouri river. Ward started and gained Helena in safety. Leaving his
arms and horse near this town, he entered that post afoot. He was quite young,
almost a boy, in fact, and was readily permitted to take passage on a steamboat
as a fugitive from the conscript law. He went in this way as a cabin passenger,
the" higher civilization" folks from the North only discovering in him a
specimen of the green Arkansas" swamp rat." At St. Louis he reported directly to
General Rosecrans, had several personal interviews with him, and from him and
those around him got the very information he was sent to seek. He then applied
for permission to go to Iowa. " to attend school" This he was permitted to do.
Taking the cars on the North Missouri Railroad he reached Chillicothe, where he
found Major Deagle in command, and greatly exercised about the taking of
Carrollton. From there he made his way to a camp of recruits, and with them
rejoined the main force and reported to General Price at Waverly, having
accomplished his hazardous undertaking exactly to the day and to the utmost
satisfaction of his officers. This may seem a very simple thing now, but in
those days it was no child's play, and the penalty 'of detection, especially if
the papers he bore on his person were found, would have been certain death. This
James Ward otherwise greatly distinguished himself, and his brother, Edward
Ward, was another member of the advance, who allowed nobody to
"outsoldier him," as
it was expressed in camp phrase. They were from Barton county, Missouri, and
their mother and sister suffered long and weary months of shameful imprisonment
in St. Louis at the hands of those who, not daring to meet these brave boys in
battle, yet had no heart to spare the helpless. The dastardly cowardice and
meanness of the Missouri Federals in this respect, is a subject too full of
shame to be broached here. The heroism of Missouri women during the war is a
book of itself that abler hands than these will write.
A beautiful and
accomplished sister of the young soldiers-Mrs. Theodosia Smith-was a heroine
beyond comparison. Elegant, fascinating, and diplomatic as Talleyrand, she made
a dozen visits through the lines, braved many dangers with remarkable coolness,
avoided numerous snares with great skill, and never failed once in the
accomplishment of her mission nor in obtaining the most complete and valuable
information.
The military budget
brought by young Ward was important and known only to General Price.
While in this
connection another daring deed of " service within the lines" may illustrate
fully the genius of Shelby's soldiers. Although at an earlier period, and having
no connection with this last expedition, it is worthy of recital. .
Marmaduke was resting
after Springfield and Hartville, preparing for Cape Girardeau. Musket caps were
fearfully scarce in the department and none anywhere in reach nearer than St.
Louis. The detail came originally to Shelby for a lieutenant and ten men, and he
sent McCoy, who had been twice before into St. Louis. McCoy reported to
Marmaduke and suggested that two men were sufficient, as the chances would be
better for getting through and accomplishing the object of the mission. A young
St. Louisan, brave, cool, wary and accomplished, Captain John W. Howard, was
selected by McCoy to accompany him, and about the 13th of January these two
devoted officers started northward through the snow and the ice, with no
passport save their wonderful assurance, and no diplomatic documents in addition
to several hundred letters from Confederate soldiers to their friends in the
loyal States.
Slowly and painfully
they toiled through the drifted snow and the barren wastes along the dreary road
until after three days' hard traveling the State line was reached. Davidson's
cavalry division was scattered and roaming about in squads promiscuously over
the country, and caution became not only necessary but so extreme as to be
absolutely painful. At Current river a scout of fifty were encountered, but they
were avoided by taking to the woods. Near Pilot Knob an old man was seen who
mistook the two Confederates for Federals, as they were dressed in complete
Federal clothing, except the pants of Howard, which were gray. The old man was
very glad to see the "boys in blue;" had two precious cut-throats in the
militia, and wanted Mc. to take some letters for him into Pilot Knob. "Money in
them?" asked Howard. "Oh! no, only on business." "All right," said Mc., " the
d-d Secesh might rob us if it were supposed we had valuables." They further
imposed upon him by making inquiries about some sick Federals they had
accidentally heard of as being in the neighborhood, and he gave
them ample directions
for a day's journey. In Washington county they were hard put to it. The militia
were swarming, and for information they called upon Mr. Pleas. Johnson. Mr.
Johnson had gone to a funeral somewhere, and nothing could be found out there.
All one night was spent in riding around Potosi-they were four miles south of it
at dark and were four miles north of it at daylight. After daylight came broad
and good they called upon another Mr. Johnson, and he sent them to a Mrs. Smith
who had two sons in the militia, but was a true Southern lady. The tired, hungry
men asked for food and sleep. In a short time her militia sons returned, but
only to stand picket over the sleeping Confederates, and after three hours of
sleep, they were awakened, fed, and sent on their toilsome way. The next house
visited belonged to a Mr. Stovall.
Mr. Stovall gave them
food and fire-water. Howard watched the horses and McCoy did the talking. " Are
you a good Union man, Mr. Stovall?"
"As good as the best,
captain."
" Well," said
McCoy, "have you seen
pass here lately a red-headed man riding a little shave-tailed mule?" (He had
heard of this fellow two houses back from Stovall's).
"Yes," said the host.
"Well, he is a deserter from General Davidson's forces. I am after him hot, and
must have a guide on the most direct road leading to St. Louis."
" I can't go myself,
captain, but my neighbor, Captain ---, has a good horse and is long in these
parts."
" Go for him," said
McCoy sternly. The captain soon came, splendidly mounted, armed, and equipped.
He was a vicious militia man, too, and McCoy's eyes had a bad look when resting
upon him. "You are a good guide," I hear, said McCoy, " and I desire you to
accompany me."
"I can not," replied
the Federal. McCoy straightened up, towered over the militiaman and drew out a
huge paper in an official envelope, though it was a love letter from some
despairing Rebel swain, and said ominously: " General Davidson has given me this
document for my authority; it empowers me to impress and to kill; I shall do one
or the other, or my name is not Captain McKeever."
This threat had its
effect. A little before dark they started in a terrible rain storm, which
penetrated to the skin, although opposed by heavy and excellent overcoats. The
Federal captain did his duty well, and took them to within eight miles of the
Merrimac river. Before reaching the point of separation a Federal scout
bivouacking was encountered. The rain which had been cursed and blasphemed,
saved the two spy heroes. God does not always destroy those who violate the
seventh commandment, or from an army of fifty thousand there would scarcely
survive ninety and nine. This rain had driven the cavalry from the road to the
shelter of the timber, some thirty rods away, yet they halted loudly when the
party came in sight. "Trot fast," were the low, calm words of Howard, his right
hand toying with the heavy dragoon under his coat.
" No, no," replied
the Federal, " we must halt; they will fire else."
"Let them fire and be
d-d," sneered McCoy, "do you suppose I would halt in such an infernal rain as
this. Close up, Howard."
Howard struck the
Federal officer's horse fiercely with the long reins of his bridle, and
altogether, the three steeds bounded off at a sharp canter.
Carondolet was
reached about three o'clock the next day, and the town was full of soldiers. The
two dare-devils dismounted leisurely, got shaved, and then went sauntering into
a public bar-room. Twenty Federals were drinking-they were infantry bear in
mind.
" Hallo, infantry,"
shouted McCoy, "come and take a drink with some of the crack fellows of
Davidson's cavalry." This bluff frankness told well with the soldiers, and the
infantry came crowding around with five hundred questions about the Rebels in
Arkansas-about Price, Marmaduke, Shelby, Kitchen, the bushwhackers, and what
not. A brawny, burly fellow, with rough cheek bones and a bright, bad eye,
peered long at Captain Howard, with some straggling instincts of recognition.
Who are you?" he
asked at length; "I have seen you in St. Louis." Howard knew the fellow well,
yet his composure was wonderful, and his voice clear and distinct as the ring of
a silver anvil:
"Likely, comrade; I have been there often. I am Captain Beard, of Hubbard's 1st
Missouri Cavalry Battalion." The rank imposed upon the crowd-they had never been
to the front and were privates-so they became reticent instantly; After another
drink at Howard's expense-the two improvised Federals rode boldly for St. Louis,
which they entered without remark or comment, passing within two feet of the
sentinel at the arsenal mechanically walking his beat.
Once inside and these
gay gallants threw away almost the simplest precautions. Both of them had fine
Confederate cavalry uniforms made, which, consistent with regulations, were
gaudy and attractive. "I'll get the caps," said McCoy," but I must have some
fun." One night the two were enjoying an hour's tete-a-tete with five or six
Rebel ladies, when in came two Federal majors. McCoy felt invigorated by some
rare old Krug, and the devil danced about his cold gray eyes till they sparkled
and glittered.
Excusing himself a
moment, he stepped into an adjoining room, unpinned the skirts of his uniform
coat, threw off the great blue overcoat, and burst back upon the astonished
Federals in all the glory and horror of buff and gold lace. "This farce of being
Yankee is about played out," said McCoy; "please give us Dixie, Miss --."
The beautiful girl,
catching inspiration from the sight of the" darling gray," sprang like a witch
upon. the piano, and tangled her white fingers in among the keys until the air
gave
out Rebel infection
and the whole house joined in the chorus. The dancers started simultaneously for
the door. "Not this night," said McCoy; "we have no desire to hang for an
useless frolic. He· quiet, gentlemen, and let's make a night of it," and his
pistol and Howard's were out in a twinkling. The Federals, who were really
sensible fellows, remained quietly, drank deeply, and were finally carried to
bed in a state of blissful ignorance.
Long before day the
Confederates were moving. Two splendid horses had been procured, forty thousand
musket caps were stowed away in saddle-bags. Howard carried from the city an
elegant saddle and bridle for General Shelby, and, after seeing McCoy well on
his way southward, returned quietly to organize and take out to Arkansas a
company of recruits.
At a bridge some
twenty miles from St. Louis, McCoy met trouble-one company of Federals held it.
He was on the bridge before he discovered the guard, and almost right on him.
"Halt!"
was the challenge.
"Well," says the unabashed adventurer, "what do you want?"
"I want you to get
down and show your pass," says" the boy in blue."
"What, sir!" says
McCoy in a voice of thunder, " do you dare to insult an officer of the day, with
his saber by his side, by such a piece of insolence as this? Can't you see my
rank, sir?" " Well," says the abashed Federal in an exculpatory tone, " I was
only trying to obey the orders of my captain."
" Your captain, eh !
Where is your captain, sir? Had he did his duty this thing would not have
happened to you. He should have taught you to say, 'Halt! Who comes there?' and
let me answer the challenge in that shape. Instead of that you halt me
improperly, and show at once that you have not been well instructed. Where is
your captain, sir?"
"He has just passed
the bridge with the rest of the company to put them on picket."
"Very well, sir,"
said McCoy, somewhat mollified, "I can excuse you, but I can not overlook such
negligence in your captain. I will go and see after him." And thereupon he put
spurs to his trusty steed, and rode off past the guard at a brisk canter. As
soon as he came to a turn in the road he darted out into the woods and fields,
every foot of which he knew too well to venture upon giving" that captain" the
lecture he had promised, and made his way safely to Shelby's headquarters in
Batesville.
Of course there must
have been staunch Southern sympathizers in St. Louis, or McCoy and Howard would
have gone to the wall ; and to two men these officers went for material aid-Mr.
John King and Captain William D. Bartle. It would be difficult to make an
accurate estimate of the assistance furnished by these two devoted" Rebels."
McCoy was in St. Louis three times during his connection with Shelby, and John
King upon every occasion gave him money, pistols, horses, and, better than all,
information, for he is a keen, observant man, and a shrewd tactician. So also
did Captain Bartle. St. Louis is filled with generous people who aided the
Confederates in every possible manner, and who, many of them, endured exile for
their sympathies; but there are none who excelled these gentlemen in the secrecy
of their operations, the munificence of their gifts, and in the indefatigable
manner by which they
equipped and hurried
to the army young men unable to purchase the necessary accouterments.
But to proceed.
General Jeff. Thompson rejoined the division near Waverly, after successfully
carrying out the orders given him. Sedalia was attacked, charged, captured, and
the prisoners taken paroled. Colonel Elliott rushed one of the first into the
fort, actually leaping his horse over the ditch and embankment, revolver in
hand, shooting as he came. Nearly seven hundred prisoners were captured, the
railroad depot, and other property destroyed, and wild havoc dealt upon the
innumera.ble negro towns skirting this then fashiona.ble terminus of the Pacific
Railroad. Captain James Wood again destroyed the bridge over the Lamine at the
same spot where a year ago he had surprised a block-house and captured its
defenders. Coming back by way of Sedalia he was closely pursued and had some
difficulty in escaping, but falling in with Colonel Blackwell and gaining his
regiment, he avoided the danger.
Shelby was at last in
his old home of Waverly. Many changes had certainly taken place. The rude hands
of war had stripped from this quiet little town much of her wealth and beauty;
many goodly trees were down and many comfortable houses destroyed, among which
were his factory, his dwelling house, and every other habitation supposed to be
his; but her true Southern heart swelled with pride as the bronzed faces of her
warrior sons gleamed through the streets. And Dover, too-this pretty little
village so peaceful and so calm-had put on her gala dress to welcome the army
and crown with garlands her returning braves marching in the advance of Shelby's
division.
These same Dover
girls cost some of Shelby's soldiers dearly, indeed. Lingering behind to gather
0. few more smiles and bind Ii few more soft love whisperings around hearts soon
to be separated, were Captain Charley Jones, Captain Ben. Neale, Captain Will.
Redd, Lieutenant Seb. Plattenburg, Sid. Martin, Dennis McNamara, Sam. Downing,
and one or two others. Songs, music, patriotic toasts, and wooings without
number stole the night away, and continued until the cold October sun had risen
red and ominous the next morning. About eight o'clock one hundred or so Federals
dashed into town and opened a. furious ·pistol fusilade upon everything in
sight. Seb. Plattenburg and Will. Redd were three hundred yards from their
horses, in a house at that, and busy with the girls. Jones mounted his men and
fought awhile to enable the two unfortunate cavaliers to regain their steeds,
which they did and
escaped from Dover in
safety. The enemy then pressed Jones rapidly up the Lexington road, shot his
horse, ran Sid. Martin out of his saddle, but were finally distanced in the
race. Plattenburg and Redd made a detour around Dover in order to gain this same
Lexington road and came squarely upon the Federals, who had halted in pursuit of
Jones' party. Mistaking them for friends, as almost all the Confederates wore
blue overcoats at that time, they rode boldly into their ranks, remarking: "It's
all right, boys. The d--d mHish are beaten at last." The mistake, however, soon
came rudely home to them, and they were dismounted and disarmed. The two
captured officers were heard from afterward at Johnson's Island, and Captain
Redd sent back to his friends a despairing verse somehow so:
"My only books
Were woman's looks
And folly all they
taught me."
Meanwhile General
Lane, coming down from Leavenworth, had occupied Lexington in force, with every
indication of giving battle, and Shelby, having the advance, gained the glorious
opportunity for which so many prayers had been said, of meeting these jayhawkers
-these robbers, who for four years had desolated Missouri with fire and sword.
It was right and proper, too, that a Lafayette regiment -should strike the first
blow for the county and the city of their homes. Lane's troops were soon
encountered on the Salt Fork road and battle joined instantly. Slayback's,
Crisp's, Gordon's, Hooper's, -Erwin's and Elliott's regiments and Jackman's
brigade fought from the first with conspicuous gallantry. Almost all of these
regiments
were composed of men
having wrongs to avenge, blood to be dried up with blood, homes destroyed and
farms ruined and desolated. No prisoners were taken, and why should there be? It
is one of the most pleasant memories connected with Shelby's division that
Kansas jayhawkers and Missouri militia were rarely ever burdened with paroles to
be violated. A deadly fight went on over the fields and in the timber tracts
along the road, but down went the Kansas men before that one long, unceasing
charge led by Shelby; and gathering up their reserve in Lexington, they fled
toward Independence, the old brigade following them with unabated rigor until
long after dark. Colonel John T. Crisp, who had formerly commanded a company
in Coffee's southwest
regiment, and who had now the nucleus of a fine battalion of recruits, fought
his little band like Spartans, and no sound rose louder above the rage and roar
of battle than the sonorous and powerful voice of Colonel Crisp. He was a.
genius, too, of remarkable individuality. The form of Apollo and the features of
some Grecian boy-god were his. He was a military politician, persuasive,
provoking, erratic, brilliant, yet he had a great deal of common sense, and many
quaint ideas of military glory. No one who has ever heard him will forget his
expression, thus: "I had rather be John T. Crisp living than Albert Sydney
Johnston dead." However, when in the field, Crisp was a good soldier, and
covered himself this day, as General Jeff. Thompson forcibly expressed it: "all
over with glory."
Before General
Price's arrival in the vicinity, Lexington had been occupied by Captain George
S. Rathbun, leading a large party of officers, sent by General Shelby from
Sulphur Rock, Arkansas, on recruiting service. Captain Rathbun took quiet
possession, issued a proclamation assuring to the citizens protection, and
during his administration of affairs used every exertion to quiet the people,
and was earnest and strenuous in his efforts to preserve life and property. The
advance of Lane's forces obliged him to retreat, and he rejoined his regiment to
render as important services in the field as he had rendered to his
fellow-citizens of Lafayette county.
Lexington held out
many fair hands and offered many faces rarer than others are, inviting the army
to linger about its hospitable mansions and its garnered delicacies; but a
stronger power than love of pleasure urged General Price forward-it was not
physical but moral fear.
In connection with
Governor Reynolds and Captain T. J. Mackey, one of Price's then staff officers-a
hard story was told on Lexington, but in defense of this beautiful, hospitable,
enlightened city, it is necessary to state that everyone believed these worthy
gentlemen missed the location, and that the lady, understanding so little of
physiognomy, must have lived somewhere else. However, be this as it may, the
tale was that Mackey and the Governor went into a neat, comfortable looking
house on one of the streets in Lexington, and asked an intelligent and handsome
lady who met them cordially at the door, if supper could be obtained.
"Certainly," she replied, " walk in, gentlemen." After an elegant repast had
been served and partaken of, Captain Mackey, rather fond, good naturedly, of
,the reverence a little rank gains, asked the lady if she had any idea of the
position of her guests. "No, sir," she answered. " Well, but, madam-if you had
to say what would be your opinion?"
" Really, sir, I
could not tell." "But, madam, guess."
" Well, stranger, to
tell you the truth"-here she looked hard at the Governor-" I honestly believe
you are both jayhawkers."
As every soldier
expected who had served six months and been on picket six times in his life, the
crossing over Little Blue was held by a large force and covered by obstacles of
formidable dimensions. The entire country seemed traversed by heavy lines of
rock fences, behind which the Federals took successive positions and fought from
one to the other with that stubbornness men always feel when shooting away
without being shot at in return, for the shelter was equivalent to this.
General Marmaduke in
advance on the 21st of October engaged the enemy heavily at the ford, and
finally drove him far enough from it to effect a crossing; but the work had just
begun. From behind their rock walls, trees, and hill tops the Federals poured in
tremendous volleys. General Marmaduke led his steady division to the attack
again and again, until three horses had been killed beneath him and his
regiments had suffered much. Still he would not bear back an inch, and urged on
impetuously the bloody conflict. Then General Price sent hasty word to Shelby in
the extreme rear to gallop to the front and reinforce General Marmaduke. Right
and left upon the roadsides the troops of Fagan's division, charged with
guarding the train, turned from the way, and the men dashed ahead with cheers to
where the firing every moment grew hotter and louder. It was soon over when
Shelby formed on Marmaduke's
left. Leading their
united divisions squarely against the first line of rock fences everything went
down before them, and the Federals, pressed for life, rallied no more until
reinforcements met them five miles from the crossing. General Marmaduke's
division having exhausted its ammunition by three hours of severe fighting,
halted until the wagons came up with new supplies, and Shelby, in conjunction
with Freeman's brigade, of Marmaduke's division, pressed the Federals fast and
furious into and through Independence. During the retreat two Colorado regiments
were often encountered. but fighting well, and rather new at the business of
meeting regulars, they suffered heavy losses. Captain Todd, of the bushwhackers,
was also killed,
while recklessly exposing himself in the very front of danger, and his men,
really valuable auxiliaries, both on account of their courage and their useful
woodcraft, joined General Shelby under David Pool, Mark. Belt, and the
illimitable William Yowell. David Pool was a dashing dare-devil, by the way, but
pitiless as a famished Bengal tiger. A terror to the Federals, he fought
desperately on all occasions, for no prisoners were ever taken, and the black
flag waved alike over both. He had been outlawed, hunted from county to county,
ran down, wounded, and almost captured, but still fought on. It was his custom
frequently to visit the neighborhoods or settlements where the Dutch militia
lived, and very often he found many of them at home on furlough. Upon one of his
raids, having a company of some forty picked men, dressed in full Federal
uniform and carrying a captured Federal flag, David
Pool rode up to a
house where lived a Dutch-militia-man, who had only two weeks before murdered
three old, unoffending Southern citizens in his neighborhood. The Dutchman was
at home and came out immediately, manifesting great joy at beholding" de boys
mit de plue glose," as he termed them before he began to tell his troubles: "Oh!
gabin, id maigs me bery glad to see de old flaag. I vish dat you vash bin yere
de ader day ven cooms yere tat tam Tavid Bool mit hish stheal pand un shoods der
peoples un dakes ebery tinks vat he shalls vant, un dakes ebery tink~ vat I
shall haive doo; but he vas knowin dat I vash not yere-if I ,·as yere I'd show
him some dings, eh? But who's der blame? de Govermand. I vish I vas Abe Lincoln
yust vun week." .,
Well," said David,
"what would you do?"
"I'd gill ebery tam Rebel vat is," said
the Dutchman.
" But we are Rebels,"
quietly answered Pool.
"Oh! mine Gott-mine
Gott, vat vm becum mit me? But den I vas vun Rebel do-I yust cust der Rebel~
becais I tought you be vun dam militia."
" I don't know, old
man," replied a bushwhacker, "but where's your money?"
When the word "
money" was mentioned the thoughts of his real danger vanished immediately, and
he began again furiously. "I godt no monish: who said I got monish: show me .de
man vat said I got monish monish, eh? Gott for tam I"
"Come with me," said
David, a fierce light in his wild black eyes, "and I'll show you the man vat
said you had monish." The old man was led to some haystacks about two hundred
yards from the house where another Dutchman was hanging high and dry on a stout
oak. Pointing to the dead militiaman, David said: "He told me you had money."
"Oh I mine Gatt, mine
monish is up stairs in mine plack britches bockets done up in vun little vite
raag."
Pool's pistol now
gleamed ominously in the eyes of the doomed man, and the muzzle almost pressed
against his breast.
" I 'm David Pool,
old man-say your prayers."
"Tavid Bool, Tavid
Baal I-mine Gott-Tavid Bool"-slowly ejaculated the German, horror at the name
and approaching death falling upon the tinder of his fear until his face, as
fearful to
behold. When seeing
the pistol slowly covering his heart, he half averted his face, continuing to
plead until he fell back dead, a childish sort of whine escaping his lips
continually. "Don't do dat, Tavid Bool-oh! Tavid Bool, don't do dat-don't do
dat."
When David Pool first
took the field, he proposed to conduct the warfare upon regular principles and
to capture and to exchange. The Federals would listen to no such offers, nor
tolerate for a moment any. such arrangements. Lieutenant Mark. Belt, a wary,
intelligent, and most amiable soldier, was, in conjunction with many· other
sterling soldierly qualities, the adjutant of Pool's battalion. On two or three
occasions he made written overtures to the Federal authorities at Lexington,
asking that an exchange might be made between them-even offering Federal
soldiers for Southern citizens. They were laughed at, and Captain Pool was given
to understand that he should not receive, nor need he expect the least bit of
mercy. Then the worst
came about speedily. Fighting for dear life, Dave Pool, Mark. Belt, Yowell,
Frank Gray, Wade Morton, John Pool, and fifty others in this stalwart, desperate
band fought terribly and swift. The black flag was forced upon them and they
accepted it.
So close were the
Federals to the rear of General Price's army after it left Lexington, about
twelve o'clock the day following the night of its capture, that when some of
Shelby's soldiers crossed there from the opposite side-absent on recruiting
service-they were picked up by the advance of the enemy holding the city.
Captain Will. Moorman, Tyler Floyd, and Ed. Stafford fell into their hands
here-men whose places could not be easily filled, for they were among the
bravest and best of the brigade. With Captain Moorman's party were taken six
other Confederates, who were dressed in blue clothing. Rosecrans' General Order
required their death, and they were taken out and instantly killed. Lieutenant
Selby Plattenburg, all of the most devoted and chivalrous officers in the old
brigade, narrowly escaped a similar fate. His faithful comrades, however, formed
a screen around his body in prison, and he was enabled to slip on unperceived a
pair of citizen's pantaloons furnished by Ed. Stafford.
CHAPTER XXIV.
AT the crossing of
the Blue, Governor Reynolds constantly exposed himself to danger and bore
himself with conspicuous bravery. Indeed, from the beginning of the expedition
he had proved himself in downright earnest, and bent every energy of his body
and mind to the accomplishment of a. great purpose. He came to Shelby's
headquarters at Pocahontas because, he said, Shelby would lead the advance, and
he deemed it the duty of the Governor of Missouri to enter his State with the
first troops. When remonstra.ted with by General Price, near St. Clair, against
still continuing with Shelby, whom" I intend sending on a dangerous mission,"
said the General, Governor Reynolds replied, .. My duty requires me to go among
the troops wherever there is danger, and to fulfill this duty I will hold
nothing back, not even my life." When Shelby attacked the Iron Mountain
Railroad, he had almost to force Governor Reynolds
from the field, for
the peril was imminent and near. Everyone counted surely on taking Jefferson
City, and not to have a Governor convenient to inaugurate would certainly have
been unfortunate.
The army camped in
and around Independence during the night of the 21st, Captain Maurice Langhorne
being the first man to enter the town, and as it was his former place of
residence, he can be pardoned for the pride and bravado which prompted his hot
charge through the streets. The morning of the 22d came cold and raw. with a dry
northeast wind and a breath of gloom in the air. Very early Shelby sent his
laconic order to Jackman, thus: "Move forward immediately, Colonel, and attack
anything and everything before you wearing a blue coat."
Jackman had but a
mile or so to go before he had plenty to do. The Federals, driven out of
Independence the night previous, were to be known by a la.rge patch of red
flannel on the left shoulder, which proved 0. more fatal badge this long, fierce
day than the brand upon the brow of Cain. At the passage of Big Blue, on the
main road, he became heavily engaged. Gordon crossed his regiment several miles
below, Thompson his brigade above, until finally the Federals were driven into
the large prairie beyond and the lines of both reformed in plain view of each
other. Thompson moved away over to the right to attack some Federals trying a
flank movement against Price's wagon train, and Jackman and Gordon, under
Shelby's Immediate eye, pushed the enemy before them all the long day, fighting
heavily and greatly outnumbered. Toward night Westport loomed up dimly across
the great, blank prairie, from which fresh
troops and additional
artillery poured out to make headway against Shelby's wearied but advancing
soldiers. A fierce, short combat occurred" just" at dark, ended by Gordon and
Jackman rushing together upon a Federal battery and two infantry supporting
regiments, capturing the guns, one a twenty-four pounder howitzer-and leaving in
one ghastly heap upon the lone prairie two hundred and seventeen dead Kansas
Jayhawkers, who had burned their last house and harried their last county in
Missouri. Two hundred and seven prisoners were sent to the rear, though
deserving instant death, and well for them that Gordon's regiment had not seen
the sight it was forced to see three days after, when Lieutenant Colonel
Blackwell, forming in
the jaws almost of death to cover Smith leading a heroic charge, saw his
dismounted men sabered and shot without mercy and without quarter.
The capture of this
battery was every way characteristic of Shelby's genius, and his sudden
determination in moments of extreme peril. Gordon was hard pressed, Jackman had
all he could do to hold his own, and the enemy's guns annoyed them grievously.
McCoy galloped up and reported that reinforcements were necessary. "Go back to
Gordon and Jackman," said Shelby, "and order them to charge and silence the
guns." McCoy hastened to obey. Meeting Captain James Wood on the way he said to
him: "Shelby has ordered a charge and it will be made. Yonder are two flags. I
will take one, can you take the other?" "If I don't," answered Jim, "you must
bury me to-night "-meaning he would be a dead man if he failed. The word was
given. Away dashed Gordon and Jackman. McCoy, Wood, Major Manning M. Kimmel and
Captain Ben. Von Phul, of Price's staff, Captain GerJrge S. Rathbun, Major
Gordon, Captain Wasson, Nichols, the heroic lieutellllnt colonel of Jackman's
regiment, Adjutant Shepard, of Gordon's regiment, Frank Jackson, Henry After,
William Thompson, William Conklin,
Kavanaugh, McNamara,
Lieutenant Charley Lewis, Lieutenant Rhodes, Bill Fell, Henry Rice, Jim Rudd,
Bob Ewing, The. Pogue, George Goodwin, Gib Oliver, Major Clendennin, Perry
Catron', Ab Jeffrys, Jno. Ross, Tone Oliver, Reube Smith, Wm. Prewett, Bill
Wilson, Dave Rutledge, Baysinger, Gideon Haygood, and twenty others were in the
wreck and melee about the guns. McCoy led by half a. length; Rathbun next; then
Wood; then the tall form of Gordon; there the handsome Kimmel and the plumed and
scarfed Nichols; yonder Shepard, cool and quiet-eyed. The prairie shook, the
trampled grass, cut and whirled into yellow dust, rose up in clouds of smoke and
minute particles. Not a shout, nor yell, nor battle-cry as the men neared the
blue spot, coiled and massed like a group of rattlesnakes. Down went the Federal
infantry to So man, rear rank and front rank, and a forest of bayonets seemed
growing there and waving in the weird twilight. Death was everywhere, but no one
saw him. Only the gaping guns vomiting grape -only the infantry and cavalry
heating the air with bullets were
before the eyes of
the fierce Missourians. One swift, short, hungry yell now and no more. The
Federal cannoniers were devoted soldiers and deserved a. better fate; the
supports beyond fought well at first, but in the murderous pistol combat they
were no match for the Missourians, and rushed away toward Westport, disorganized
and broken. McCoy killed the color bearer and grasped his flag-Wood had his; the
race went on until nightfall, when Shelby sent a courier to General Price
telling him of the issue.
The rest of the old
brigade, under Thompson, had hard fighting, also, and joined the division very
late in the evening, after driving the enemy into his fortifications at
Westport. In General Price's rear the Federals were coming up like great waves"
when navies are stranded." Pleasanton, leading ten thousand cavalry, and well
ahead of General Rosecrans, commanding his infantry in person, attacked Cabbell
at Independence and was repulsed; but when Cabbell moved on with his brigade,
Pleasanton struck him in flank on the march, captured Hughey's battery and cut
off two regiments, which were, however, safely led through to the army by
General Marmaduke, who happened, fortunately, to be in the extreme rear at the
time. The limits now were indeed narrowing around General Price. All this day,
at the head of the column, he could see the desperate efforts of his divisions,
fighting in front, rear, and upon both flanks
to save the
organization of his army, and the immense train dragging its huge body over the
prairie slowly as a gorged anaconda.
At Independence,
Marmaduke lost two splendid officers--Lieutenant Colonel Merritt Young and
Captain Frank Davidson-the first killed and the latter badly wounded and
captured. In the rear when Cabbell was attacked, they formed and fought with
their usual gallantry. Colonel Young was stricken down with a mortal wound, and
while being borne, dying, through the streets of Independence, the litter was
stopped and some greedy ruffians attempted to strip from the suffering soldier
his uniform. Through the strenuous exertions of the noble women this indignity
was spared him, and he was permitted to die in peace. The South had no better
nor braver soldier than Merritt Young, and in battle he was considered one of
the most reckless and desperate fighters in the army. Captain Davidson was taken
to prison suffering greatly, but finally recovered from the effects of his ugly
wound.
Shelby unsaddled and
went into camp upon the spot where he had fired his last gun, stationed his
sentinels, renewed his ammunition, and tried to sleep supperless and thirsty
just as he had done twenty times before under skies almost as dark. This night
saw the turning point of the entire expedition; this night General Price slept
four miles in rear of Shelby's division, which covered the entire front and
right flank of his army; this night Rosecrans came up fresh and vigorous as a
lusty swimmer; this night General Price rested when he should have strained
every nerve of physical endurance to place forty miles between' his army and the
overwhelming force of Federals. He may not have known his danger, he might have
been ignorant of the masses in his rear, but he certainly did know that his
enormous train would seriously embarrass his operations on the morrow in case of
retreat under fire, and that at least should have been sent forward. The army,
too, had only marched ten miles from Independence, after a sound and refreshing
sleep the night before, and was thereby in better condition to make the terrible
marches soon rendered necessary by events.
After the charge with
its crimson laurels; after the two banners, plucked from the crest of battle,
had been presented to the commander-in-chief, General Shelby sent for Major
Kimmel, who came to him covered with the dust and powder of the melee. Shelby
said to him: "Major, I wish you would ride to General Price and suggest to him
for me that immediate retreat is almost necessary to the salvation of his army.
Rosecrans will arrive during the night; the train is long and burdensome; and
rapid evolutions to-morrow in the presence of immense cavalry will be
impossible." Manifestly, Shelby had no right to do this thing. lIe violated
military etiquette, and he presumed to advise his superior officer without being
required to do so. But he relied upon the perfect obedience he had rendered in
all things, and he had some hope that his reasoning, in conjunction with other
division commanders, would have the required weight. Kimmel galloped away on his
mission, but he never galloped back again that night.
In sight and around
the dreary heap of dead Kansans, lying pale and distorted in the full blaze of a
cold October moonlight, General Shelby's worn and battered division kept watch
and ward for the sleeping army. The air was thick and hazy, and the wind blew
very cold. Hunger and thirst added to the misery of the bivouac, but the men
hoped to satisfy both the next day in Westport.
The chieftains under
Price had marched far and fought little for this night's bivouac upon the plains
of Missouri. The fleet of horsemen had anchored in mid-ocean, and the sails were
all furled and the pennons were still. In the dead calm of the admiral's slumber
there was no white line of breakers seen to the westward; and the hollow
mutterings of the storm rolled no angry waves from the North. Confidence spread
a great sleep-hunger over all the soldiers and they banqueted until sunrise. A
fitful, gusty, moaning night was half of it, too, when the elements portend
calamity and death. Grouped around the dead Kansans were Shelby's warriors,
indifferent, tired and hungry. They neither knew nor dreaded their danger.
Shelby takes us in and Shelby can take us out, they argued, so sleep, boys,
while you may. Poor fellows, in the utterance of this simple confidence they
knew not the sorrow it gave to the impatient leader, lying among his guns and
peering out through the darkness toward Westport. Away over to the left yonder,
where a few fickle grass fires leaped into light, is crouched the wary
Marmaduke, anxious, nervous, but prepared for great things to-morrow. He, too,
has seen, and felt, and argued; but nothing came of it all. That great fused,
welded mass of shadows around him is his old brigade; further away a little the
long, irregular zig-zag fire-line marks the borderers under-Freeman; and nearer
than both, with its little blue, silken banner, fringed and fabricated by one of
the whitest, queenliest hands in Arkansas, is his escort, under the intrepid
Stallard-Shelby's gift to Marmaduke.
In the rear of these
two folded, dormant wings, two miles off, stands a large frame house, jubilant
with dancing lights and moving figures, the headquarters of the
commander-in-chief. The handsome cavalier, Fagan, is there with his tried
Arkansans, and the wind toys with the long locks of the soldier and ruffles the
gold lace on his elegant uniform. Fagan had ever a keen eye for nature, and he
enjoyed the delightful scene-a land ocean, with armies for fleets and stars for
beacons. The brave, proud Cabbell is uneasy in his massive repose, yet he
thought only, as the smoke curled up from his bivouac pipe, how he would fight
to-morrow, and how he would hurl his splendid brigade back to regain his
battery.
And over all in front
of Westport there, the glad, bright sky spread a tearless mantle; the wind blew
itself to silence; the night waned slowly; and sweet sleep put its sickle in
among the soldiers and reaped tenderly a soft harvest of harmonious dreams.
Just about daylight,
the 22d of October, General Shelby received orders to attack and capture
Westport and open the road for the train to march southward. He had been waiting
calmly an hour for just such instructions, and immediately went straight toward
the enemy, drawn up in a heavy growth of timber and covered by innumerable rock
fences.
His first charge was
desperate and bloody, for it had to be made under many disadvantages and in face
of a terrific fire from rock fences. The Federals were driven from fence to
fence, through a skirt of timber, and into Westport beyond. Thus far the road
southward lay open to General Price, but he traveled it too slowly, not seeming
to think that all the brave fellows falling around Shelby were so many useless
human sacrifices. The position now stood thus: Shelby, four miles to the right
of the main road traveled by General Price, held Curtis and his eight thousand
soldiers in check with a single division; in the rear General Marmaduke fought
the advance of Rosecrans' entire army for two terrible hours, and the heroism of
both Marmaduke and Shelby was merely exerted to save a train that might have
been saved beyond peradventure fourteen hours before. As long as General
Marmaduke could hold
the road upon which
General Shelby had to retire in order to gain Price's line of march, Shelby was
comparatively safe; but should Marmaduke be forced beyond this road, then,
indeed, the position in front of Westport became one almost of destruction. The
enemy, re-enforcing from Westport, came out to attack Shelby, and for two hours
the hardest battle of the campaign raged with unabated and determined fury.
Charge after charge was hurled upon his division, but were spent against the
stone barriers held by the Missourians, or hurled back like huge waves breaking
into spray on the rocky face of beetling cliffs. After General Price crossed his
lengthy train over a deep, rocky stream four miles upon his road from the last
camp, he ordered Shelby to retire upon the rear of the wagons. The message came
just after he had repulsed a furious attack by the Federals, and when another
fresh line was pouring upon him: "Tell General Price I can not fall back now. If
he would help me he must send me reinforcements. Every man shall die at this
wall before I leave my wounded or give up a single
piece of artillery."
"But, General, you will be surrounded and cut to pieces." " Leave that to me-I
will save this army yet."
How little was
thought then of a reply so lightly spoken. General Marmaduke from the rear sent
impatient word that he could not resist Rosecrans' advance much longer, and
would be compelled soon to fall back beyond the road on which General Shelby was
fighting. This sounded frightful, but matters were no better, until finally, by
a desperate charge, to rescue Gordon, who was isolated and almost enveloped,
time was gained for other regiments of the division to reform and press forward.
This charge was made by Colonel A. W. Slayback, leading his new but battle-tried
regiment. Jackman's brigade had just closed a fierce conflict in the woods near
Westport to the left of Shelby's line of battle, in which he had been handled
roughly and lost without stint. Smith, Erwin, and Elliott were further to the
right battling nobly to prevent a flank attack, and were being forced gradually
back before superior numbers.
Gordon, in the
center, had remained firm until the two Federal wings by advancing had almost
gained his rear. Shelby had galloped to the right where the danger was most
imminent,
and Slayback had just
returned from a bloody assault upon a large brick house, which he carried with
the revolver, and which was the key almost to Shelby's position) overlooking and
commanding as it did the left of his center. Riding up with young James Ward by
his side, who was acting as his aid, he saw with alarm Gordon's efforts to
escape the coil gradually strengthening around him. "Ain't they true," said
Ward, with dilating eyes and 0. flush of battle-pride on his face. "Yes," said
Slayback," and by heaven they shall have help!" Without orders-almost contrary
to orders -he turned to his regiment, pointed to the valley below, and in a
voice heard above the roar of musketry, shouted: "Forward, to the rescue!"
Not a man faltered.
Down upon the masses surging and shouting around Gordon, Slayback dashed with
his regiment like a full-fed river, he on the right and the gallant Prewett on
the
left. Everything gave
way before this splendid advance, and the two regiments, mutually cheering and
shouting to each other, drove the Federals once more back to Westport. Gordon
was saved nnd thanked his generous preserver j Shelby congratulated him upon
judgment and dash; Jackman renewed the fight, inspirited by the scene; Elliott,
Erwin, and Smith pressed on again stubbornly, until Shelby, hastily collecting
his skirmishers and dismounted men, made a rush to overtake Price, heaven only
knew how many miles away-for time was not noted in those terrible five hours'
fighting in front of Westport. The fortune which had invariably followed his
standard cheered him now, but with weak and sickly smiles. The Federals at
Westport, reinforced by the army fighting Marmaduke, pressed Shelby furiously,
and quick as he had been, they were also as fast. Line after line poured out
from the town, and battery after battery galloped to the front and opened at
half range. Collins fought like a tiger, and Shelby's old brigade seemed
resolved to perish where it stood. Smith turned once fiercely and charged the
nearest brigade of the enemy, three lines deep. His single regiment went through
and through them in that wild, mad gallop, but only to rush upon a. wall of
solid infantry. Lieutenant Colonel Blackwell, at that moment in command of
Gordon's regiment, seeing Smith fighting alone-hemmed in and broken-formed his
own command firmly across the road, barred the triumphant advance of Curtis, and
alone rescued his comrades and brought out the disorganized regiment until it
could reform its shattered ranks. These two charges cost Shelby a hundred of his
best and bravest. His wounded men were killed by the Kansans, and those having
horses shot were murdered in the very act of asking quarter. It grew
desperate in the
rear, and desperate in the front at the same time. The advance of Rosecrans,
having no longer Marmaduke to oppose it, came down at a gallop to cut Shelby off
from the only narrow road between his command -and safety. nut he won at last.
Brave, and good, and proud in his utmost peril, he formed that old Iron Brigade
which had never wavered during all the bloody hours square across the two roads
to meet the tide from Westport, while Collins' battery and Jackman's were sent
further to the right to meet the tIde from Rosecrans.
It was a grand and
beautiful scene. Away beyond the house where General Price slept so quietly the
night before, and for which General Shelby was thus left here alone, abandoned
and
almost surrounded, a
long line of infantry could be seen pressing steadily forward and looking like a
black ribbon. Four or five houses were now in flames, two thousand haystacks
burning at once, caissons blowing up, shells bursting, and the slopes and
hill-tops covered with gray and white specks, each man in agony or in death. The
cavalry came right onward. The front division in three bodies in front of
Jackman crowned the ridge and came down at a charge, yelling and shooting.
Jackman dismounted his men, ran out two hundred yards in front of his horses and
knelt to receive the shock, without the glitter of a bayonet in all the line
from right to left, Collins opened with grape and cannister. Jackman waited
until the foremost ranks were but twenty feet away, and he shriveled up that
gaudy division into one mass of blind, struggling, frantic horsemen.
" Glorious!" shouted
Shelby from the left," but gallop to the rear, Collins-this is no place for
you." General Fagan rode up to Jackman" and Collins, and grasping their hands in
generous emotion, said: "This is the finest exhibition of courage I ever saw."
The tumult of voices
from the Kansans as they bore down from Westport had something dreadful about
it-a roar that is never to be heard save in some such agony of battle. The
artillery from seven full batteries swept every portion of Shelby's lines, and
rent horses and riders into shreds of quivering, bleeding flesh. Not for miles
and miles could a friendly line be seen, and the blank prairie gleamed away
southward cold, cheerless, and desolate. Horses without riders careered among
the wounded, who were crawling all over the plain; dismounted dragoons dragged
themselves to the rear j and men came pulling themselves along in such numbers
that they seemed like a broad fringe to the edges of battle. Curtis was near
enough at last, when with a great shout of revenge Shelby's brigade, Elliott
leading, dashed upon the hated Kansans. It was pitiless as the grave-this five
minutes' battle. Shelby reeled back
over the prairie from
the contest, faint and bleeding, but those alive at their posts were undaunted
and unconquered. Two miles in front a huge stone wall rose up from the level
earth and stretched away for miles and miles. Shelby marked it with eager eyes
and ordered a gallop as swift as the bullets of the enemy. The Federals charged
by Jackman had rallied now, and came down upon the rear with redoubled speed.
Curtis hurled forward two huge waves of cavalry, and twelve pieces of artillery
played upon the torn and battered division fighting at such fearful odds. The
wall was reached. Over it went the foremost line and formed behind it.
Lieutenant Perry Catron forms first and gives back a sweeping fire. Doctor
Spencer Brown shouts out his notes of defiance and fires every barrel of his
deadly revolver. Elliott, Smith, Gordon, Hooper, Erwin, Langhorne; Blackwell,
Neale, Robert Ewing, McDougall, John and Frank Cheatham, Slayback, Wyatt Webb,
Ward, Burch, McCoy, Ab. Jeffries, Jones, Wave Anderson, Clemm, Dickey, Tucker,
Franklin, Adams, Renfro, Marchbanks, Wasson, Toney,
Wills, and two
hundred others-officers and men make the last desperate hand to hand fight over
and around this vine-covered, moss-grown fence. The fight was made chiefly with
the revolver and the saber, and every man stood upon his individual merits.
The unerring
pistol-shot was worth a life, and to miss was to be a victim-cool nerve, and
cool nerve alone told the talc. Retreat was useless now-the lion was at bay.
Strategy and skill had been expended at Westport-there was no time nor place for
either here. A grim, sullen, steadfast, unconquerable decimated division of
desperate men held the wall and they meant to die there. Curtis can not take it,
and he dares not try but once. Rosecrans' advance of two heavy divisions charged
it twice, but melted away before the stubborn defense, until at last Shelby
reformed his bleeding division and rode slowly off unmolested to overtake the
retreating army, which he succeeded in doing about sunset. This 23d of October
cost Shelby somewhat over eight hundred men, many of them bearing the scars of
three wounds, and nearly all of them veterans who had followed him in all of his
battles. Some friend has published an account of this conflict, which will sum
up and condense it in a very short space, and I take the liberty of inserting it
here:
"We will never forget
the impression made upon our mind when we saw General Shelby coming out of the
fight at Westport without a hat on his head, his sandy locks streaming on the
wind, his sixshooter in his hand, and his gallant division, after three days of
hard fighting, overpowered and cut to pieces, but still not whipped, gathering
around their beloved chieftain and ready to turn at a . moment's notice on the
rapidly advancing enemy. Perhaps in the whole history of the war there is not a
more interesting battle-field than that of Westport. General Price had moved
along at a snail's pace-think of cavalry marching at the rate of fifteen miles
per day!-until a mighty host had gathered in his rear, and a large army in his
front. His own force consisted of perhaps ten thousand fighting men. At
Independence it became evident to all that we were getting in a fix: Still
General Price, against the remonstrance of nearly all, if not all of his
subordinate officers, persisted in the original plan of going west to Fort
Leavenworth before he turned his face south. Before leaving Independence,
however, he opened his eyes. The Federals overtook his rear-guard and handled it
so roughly that it soon became a question how he was to escape from the" Tartar"
he had caught. General Shelby was in
front, and had for
days with his veteran division been driving Blunt and the Kansas troops before
him. We could hear his cannon twelve miles ahead thundering away night and day.
We felt secure in that quarter, for we knew Joe Shelby was there. But what was
to be done with the twenty thousand men in our rear, with our vast train to be
guarded, consisting of five hundred wagons, and five thousand head of cattle and
three thousand unarmed men, well, sick and wounded? General Price with coolness
and intrepidity calmly surveyed the situation. He determined to move in a.
southward direction, and ordered Shelby to move in a southeast direction, thus
forming with the two divisions of his army the letter V.
"Just at the angle of
the V formed by the two retreating columns of Price's army there is a
magnificent amphitheater formed by a semicircular mountain, through a narrow
defile in which it was General Price's intention and only chance to escape. It
required a long time to pass this defile with a large train, for just at the
base of the mountain a beautiful, but rocky and deep creek wound its slow length
along, like a lovely fairy queen sleeping in the arms of a monster genii. In the
front of this natural amphitheater there were beautiful farms inclosed by stone
fences. Here General Price halted to hold the Federals in check. It was a
pleasant moonlit night when we were ordered to bivouac, and General Price could
easily have pushed his train forward through the defile that night, and held the
pass with one brigade against the whole Federal army. But that was not his
style. All the hosts of the North could not disturb his composure or break his
purpose of repose. So we slept on the prairies, with the cool, bracing
atmosphere of Kansas playing upon us~ and the deep blue of heaven bending
lovingly over us. The morning sun dawned quietly and radiantly on a lovely
autumn day, and it was several hours before we realized that a great fight was
impending-a fight not for victory on our part, but for life itself, for escape,
for the pleasure of seeing once more the homes , and the loved ones awaiting our
return in the far-off Dixie. "We first heard the thunder of Shelby's cannon at
Westport, and then the roar of small arms. The battle became terrific, but the
enemy advancing from Independence on the front of our right wing soon engaged
Marmaduke's division. For hours the fight continued. After prodigies of valor
Shelby's heroes were gradua.lly borne back. But in the meantime the train had
crossed the mountain, and Cabbell's brigade, about one thousand strong, was
guarding it while crossing. A large party of Federals-seemingly larger than
Price's entire command, had been sent around to the right, flanking the
mountain, and intended to seize the pass by which alone we could retreat. Just
as Cabbell's brigade ascended the brow of the mountain, a long line of
blue-coats could be seen across the prairie, marching up to forestall us. Seeing
the defile guarded they paused, and, strange to say, made no attack on the
train, which was stretched out for two miles, and only guarded by a handful of
men. Had they moved up boldly all would have been lost. They fell back and
disappeared over the hill, and soon Marmaduke and then Fagan and Shelby came
sweeping by-the defile was passed and the train saved. We all breathed easier.
We had fought a hard fight and the result was a victory to us. But we had left
many a brave soldier
in the fields about
Westport. Shelby was the hero of the fight. Never did nature form a grander
battle-field, and never were the principles of military science so sadly abused
and ignored as by General Price in the first place, and the commander (whoever
he was) of the Federal flanking party in the second place. General Price could
have passed the defile the night before, and saved tho lives of eight hundred of
the. bravest soldiers who ever swung around their shoulders a Sharpe's rifle.
The Federals could have secured the pass. Both blundered in generalship, but the
battle-fieM still lies there in its natural grandeur and loveliness, for the
study of the future strategist."
In the morning of
this day's fight, General Fagan and a portion of his division were engaged. The
intrepid Dobbins held his regiment well in hand, and McGhee's battalion made a
fierce charge down a narrow lane in front of Westport. Twenty-seven of his
gallant Arkansans fell before the deadly fire, and those inevitably wounded in
the melee were horribly mutilated by the Kansans. In this hot charge Colonel
McGhee and Major Grider were badly wounded. The charge itself was an useless
exposure of life and could result, possibly, in no good. A narrow lane ran
straight ahead for half a mile, flanked by heavy rock fences on both sides
extremely difficult to break down. At the end of this lane, nearest Westport,
was a Federal battery, and protecting this battery were at least two regiments
of Kansans, deployed on either side behind the fences. To capture these guns was
McGhee's intention, and he dashed down the fatal pathway splendidly and
recklessly. Shelby advised strongly against it, and warned him of the concealed
infantry behind the walls. But the rush was made, and while" it was magnificent,
it was not war."
In this fight in
front of Westport, Shelby had with him four boys, the oldest of whom was not in
his sixteenth year. Two of them, Alexander and Edward Barnett, were his cousins;
another, Tecumseh Shelby-was his brother-in-law, and the last-Charles Hall, was
a dashing little fellow from Waverly. Edward was killed, Alexander was wounded,
Tecumseh was captured, and Charley, by hard work, got safely through to Texas.
So desperate was the nature of the fighting and so nearly surrounded was his
division, that Shelby could not save these boys from the perils of the bloody
field.
The" wag" of Gordon's
regiment, Dennis McNamara-a model soldier and versatile, courageous,
intelligent, and humorous-was desperately wounded almost in the streets of
Westport. His genial smile and ready Irish wit were missed long and sadly by the
survivors of " old Company A."
After the battle,
many of Shelby's recruiting officers returned to him. Captain D. Williams, the
well tried leader of the advance, who had gone from Booneville to Northwest
Missouri on recruiting service, cat!le in with a splendid regiment, after taking
Carrollton, its large garrison, its vast quantities of supplies, and many heavy
detachments of scouting Federals. With Williams were also his field officers
afterward-the young and gallant Hodge and Merrick, both of whom had fought their
way up from the ranks, and had been complimented on a dozen bloody fields for
skill and valor-the soldier's truest compliments.
Lieutenant Monroe
Williams, a brave and promising officer of the advance, had been captured-before
his brother Colonel D. A. Williams arrived in northeast Missouri-while
recruiting for his command, and he, together with seven of his men, were led
out, after their surrender had been accepted, and brutally murdered. When
Colonel Williams took Carrollton, some of these assassins were there and were
recognized immediately. By every law of warfare on earth he was justified in his
retaliation, which was ample and satisfactory; and those men who, but a short
time before dyed their hands in innocent and gentle blood, had forced upon them
the fate meted out to their helpless victims.
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