Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-07-30
Shocking Atrociiy by Missouri Rebels on
the UniOmisIa.

Correspondence Of the New York Ttmes.l
ST. LOUIS, July 24.-On Monday last week,
Col. Hammer lett Herman ON the Missouri
river, with 800 men of the 18th regiment Mis-.
souri, volunteers, for Montgomery City, 10
join Col. Smiths corps at Mexico in an expe-
dlion against Col. Harris state troops. Thr.
ty-tive men, cavalry, accompanied the regi-
ment. Arriving at Montgomery City, the 4th
regiment took the train on the North Missouri
railroad early Thursday morning for Mexico.
The cavalry were instructed by Col. Hammer
to follow. The little corps Of brave fellows
consequently elected leader, and started at 8
O'Clock A. M, on their perous journey
through country swarming with spies of the
enemy. AT about noon they came TO sign
board on cross-road informing them that it
was still fifteen miles to eXeO. As none of
the party were acquainted with the roads in
that country, they followed the road pointed
out by the sign-board, though much doubling
the statement about the distance. A union
man, whom they fortunately met shortly after
informed them that they had been led astray,
and were just on the point of hurrying into
the midst Of an ambuscaded enemy number
ing some 800 men, encamped at short dis
lance. or course the little corps could do
nothing but retreat to Montgomery City.
They had not proceeded far on their retreat,
when shots came flying from various direc.
tons wounding one Of the corps, Lieut.. Jae-
ger, the owner of a brewery in st. Louis
Col. Ben. Sharp, of the Danville Home
Guards, who had accompanied the expedition
in buggy, took Jaeger into his little carriage,
and both proceeded in advance of The corps
The firing soon ceased, but was shortly after
wards renewed and III the confusion of this
second skirmish the buggy was lost sight OF by
the troops. The buggy just entered little
w Itpn slf,iS xuI,t
around the heads of the two persons seated
within it, one shot MORALLY woundng Col
Sharp, and another shot passing through the
arm OF Lieut.. Jaeger. Scared at the reports
oil the rifles the horse ran away, Jaegar being
unable to hold it with his one arm and after
some moments of frightful suspense, Jaeger
found himself with the dead body of Col
Sharp and the broken remnants of the buggy
on the ground in front of a farmhouse. He
was carefully taken in by the poor people of
the farm, and his wounds washed and dressed
as well as circumstances would permit. The
cold bo.y OF his friend was also taken in the
house and placed upon bench. But
before an hour had elapsed, a body of Sc
cessionsts entered the house, and b. forcet@sk
the wounded body Of Jaeger, and the Nd
corpse OF Sharp, wish them to the woods
There, III spite OF the piteous prayers of Jaeger
to spare him the horrors OF such DEATH these
bloodthirsty wretches actually hung their
wounded prisoner, aud the cold corpse of his
friend icdS suspended in Tie same manner by a rope
at his side.
You may imagine how the news of this in
human cruelty incensed the comrades of poor
Jaeger. Col. Hammer Immediately ordered
an expedition to visit the scene Of this barbar
Gus outrage, and shoot every man, suspected
as having been partner to the crime, like a
dog, Over seven of tbp n1ur1prars hnva Tins
already received their punishment. The cav
airy reached Montgomery City in safety, but
were shortly after surrounded, and only saved
by the timely arrival of two companies of
Zouaves, dispatched to their assistance by
Lieut.. Schaeffer.