The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-10-12
BURLINGTON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER p, 1861.
From tn, 81 Louis Democrat.
IMPORTANT FROM LEXINGTON.

From tn, 81 Louis Democrat.
IMPORTANT FROM LEXINGTON.
J Statement Of Capt Meet, aa escaped prisoner :
4 Neaos up to Monday epeaing--ihe Rebels toriify
ing Baker. HM-I They eepert an Attack f..,o,
I Fremont aud lSiga ,c;M 10000 nen
We had an interview yesterday with Captain
4 Meet Of company X, Fourteenth Missouri Vol
4 unteers, under Col. White. The Captain was
one Of the prisoners surrendered by Col. Multi
gan, and was lucky enough to make his escape
! from the hands of the rebels on Monday last
He gives US some highly important Information,
which We proceed to detail. Capt. Neat is an
| old resident of Lafayette county, and knows the
locality n Lexington perfectly. was one OF the
| Home Guards when his coinpsny joined the com
mand Of Col White, and seems to be a very in
itelligens and reliable man.
He says he was relieved from captivity on
Thursday of last week on parole, and had pro-
ceeded across the river on his way to the Han
nibal and st. 10. Railroad, when he was seized
| by order Of Gen. Price, taken back to Lexiug-
| ton and committed to jail. From his Jail quar-
| ters he could observe to some extent the move.
| ments Of the rebels. and what he could not see
he gathered from his guards and from conversa.
tion with Major Sewer, the Provost Marshal un
der the Rebel reign at Lexington.
| He sass that all day last Saturday Gen. Har-
| ris's division of about 5000 men were crossing
| the river to the north, or rather northwest, on
the tive ferry boats AID the small steamer Clara
Belle. The destination of this expedition he
could not in any way ascertain. On Saturday
night, about ]2 o'clock. he was awakened from
his sleep 6y brisk cau,oaading from TIC direction
tahen by Harris's forces, the sound coming to his
ears very distinctly and giving bin The impress
sion that the scene of the fling was not far
from the river bank. This cannonadng con;in-
ued, he thinks about half an hour. About day
light again the caInonading was resumed, aud
seemed to be nearer The rafting of musketry
was also heard, and the whole fight, as It seemed
to be, was kept up vigorously until about ten
o'clock on Sunday morning. Shortly alter
wards it became very apparent tnat Haris's
force was retreating across the river, as he saw
men running along the streets wet as though
they had been swimming the river and he heard
some of them saying that Horriss baggage train
had been captured by isturgis' of 1000 men,
and that Harriss men were coming across the
river.
Col Neat says he heard Major Sewer telling
the same thing to some of the officers. He
could not learn any particulars ef the fight ouy
that one of the ferry boats, the Isaac Brinker-
formerly used at Brunswick-was sunk On the
same afternoon Sunday the Dhole rebel army
commenced niouing out Of Lexington, taking the
direction, ss far as he could learn, of the Mis-.
sionary road, leading to the Southwest. he
could see the columns moving very plainly from
his place of confinement. THIS Increment con
tnued all Sunday night and all day Monday up
To the time he ,cas taken ont of jail plich be-
hceen 2 and 8 o'clock Il, the afternoon
= Capt Neat says he was released by the Pro-
vost Marshal, Major Sewer, ard taken imme.
diately before Gen. Price, where witnesses were
produced against him on II charge of having
robbed some of the storehouses of Lexington
while on duty Home Guard. The examina
tion vas hasty, and was brought to an abrupt
close by Gen. Price, who said that the proof was
not sufficient to hold him as prisoner in Jail,
and SO released him, as before, on parole, direct.
ing him to report himself again to him at five
o'clock that afternoon, when other witnesses
would be produced. The limits of his freedom
were, all that part of Lexington south of Main
street.
Between 8 and 5 o'clock Capt. Neat concluded
to try All escape, and accordingly, in the midst
of the confusion, stole out of town and hid
himself in cornfield bordering on the Inde-
pendence road. about fue o'clock he saw Gen.
Price and stat, and his rear guard, pass along by
lis hiding place, and he heard from tie loud talk of
tie troops that they ne'e going to Bakers Hill,
about eight miles from torn, mhere they intended TO
tortity themselves to meet the attack of Sigel and
Fremont, mho were coming them sciM forty thou
sand troops. Bakers Hil Capt. Neat says, is
the highest emnence in that part of the coun-
try, and well adopted for a plan of defence
He says he cannot say positively that this was
the design of Price. He only heard 1t talked
about among the troops.
On Monday night Capt. Neat made his way to
Freedom township, Dutch settlement "a miles
off. Here he was joined by Major Becker, who
had also escaped; ard the next day they both
struck across the country for Sedaia, which
place they reached in safety
Major Sewer told Capt. Meet, on Friday last,
thai on that day they had issued 46 900 rat ons.-
Capt Meet thinks the rebel army will reach so,
COO They are badly clio he'd, but the majority
of them well armed.
About O'clock on Monday evening he saw
Col. Whites physician, Dr.. Cooley, who told him
that the Colonel was better.
The Captain says the Federal army at and near
Sedalia is a very formidable body Of men, and
are exceedingly anxious to give the rebels fight,
fearing they will scatter and run before they are
reached.