Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-05-08
THE SIT. LOUIS ARSENAL.
How 1T WAS STRIPPED By AN ILLINOIS
VOLUNTEER.

The Chicago Tribune gives nm inter
esting account OF tho removal Of the arms
from the Arsenal at St. Louis, by Capt.
Stokes of Chicago. After narrating how
the Capt. bnflcd the secession spies, the
Tribune says.
Capt. Stokes Immediately tclegraph"d
to Alton 20 have the steamer CITY OF
Alton diop down to the Arsenal landing,
about midnight. He then returned 10
the Arsenal and commenced moving
the boxes of guns, Nv, ighing some three
hundred pounds each, down to the lower
door, y bout seven hundred men en-
gagged in the work. He then took i've
hundred Kentucky fint lock muSket@,
which had been sent there to be altered,
and sent them to be placed on steamer
as n Uind to couer has real mcUemtn's.
The secessionists nabbud them at once.
and raised n perfect Bedlam over the cap
ture. A large portion of the outside
crowd left the Arsenal when this move
melt WAS executed and Capt. Lyon took
the remainder who were lying mound a.,
spies, and locked them up in his guard
house. At about eleven O'Clock, The
steamer City of Alton ca e alongside;
p'anks were showed out from the win
dows to the main deck, and the boxes
sid down. When the ten thousand
were safely on board. Cant. Stokes went
to Capt L, OIL and Major Calender, and
urged them, 10y the most pressing al
pcaIs, to ist item to empty the Arse"aL
They told him to 90 ahead aud take
whatever he wanted. According y he
took eleven thousand mere muskets, five
| hundr d new rifle carblnes, five bun
bred revplverS, one hundred and ten
thousand musket cartridges, to say moth
ing of the cannon, aud a large quantity
of miscellaneous accoutrements, leaving
only seven thousand maskets in tie Ars-
email, to arm the St. Louis volunteers.
When the whole were on board,
about two O'Clock Friday morning. the
orde: was given, by the captain Of the
steamer, to cast off. Judge of the CON
sternation of all hands when it was found
that she would not move. The arms
had been piled in great quantities aronnl
the engines to protect them against the
battery on the leyce, aud the great
weight had fastened the bows Of th,.
boat firmly on a rock, which WAS tearing
a hole through the bottom at every turn
of the wheels. Il man of less nerve
than Cal tam Stokes would have gone
crazy on the spot. He called the arse II.
al men on board, and commenced NOV
ing the boxes TO the stern. Fortunately i.
when about Two hundred boxes hal
been shifted the beat fell away from the
shore, and tloated in deep water. which
way 7 said Captain Mitchell, Of the
steamer. Straight to Alton in the reg
ular channel replied Captain Stokes
w bat if we are attacked e said Cap
tain Mitchell. : Then wo will fight :"
said Capt. Stokes. What if we a,e
overpow red z said Capt NJ. Run her
to the deepest part Of the river aud silk
her, replied Capt. S. 'lIl do it,, was the
heroic answer Of Capt. Mitchell, and
way they went past the secession battery,
past the entire ST. Louis lcvec, and on ~
Alton, in tie regular channel, where
they arrived ut 5 O'Clock in the mornit g.
" hen the beat touched her landing.
Capt. Stokes, fearing pursuit by some
two or three of the secession military
companies, by which the city OF St. Lou
is is disgraccd, ran to the Market Horse
and rang the Ere bell. The ci,zcns
came ifocking pelmeil to the river, III
al sorts of habiliments. Capt. Stpk,s
| informed them of the situation OF tliiuc.,
an pointed cut the freight cars. In
stantIy mc,l, women and children board
ed the steamer, seized tie freight aud
clainbered up the le.ee to the cars
Rich and poor rugged together with
might and main for two hours, when the
cargo was all deposited in dc cars. md
the train moved off, amid their cuthusls
astic cheers, for Springfield.
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