Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-05-25
STATEMENT.

For the Daily Patriot.
STATEMENT.
On Monday the 9th of May, in accordance
with previously published orders, and IL
pursaance of their annual custom, the troops
composing the first Brigade of the Missouri
! Volunteer Militia were assembled in full
uniform on the streets of St. Louis, and
marched to Camp Jackson" established at
LindeIl's Grove, on the Olive Street Road,
within the city limits.
Recruiting and other active war-like prep
arations having been going on Tor several
weeks at the U. S. Arsenal, the public mind
was very naturally uneasy and apprehensive;
and exciting rumors at once sprung up
and gained credence throughout the city.
Everything went on qnieily, however, until
Wednesday evening" Sth inst, when several
thousand men, mostly Germans, styled the
"Home Guards were marched from differ
ent parts of the city, in companies and regi-
ments. to the U. S. Arsenal, and there sup
piled with arms and ammunition. This done,
they were marched Immediately back with
their arms to the different places of rendez-
vous, passing through the most populous
parts of the city, and greatly alarming I'M
armed citizens, women and children. Things
passed off quietly during the night, aud the
process of enlisting and arming the Home
Guards was continued during Thursday and
Thursd az night On Friday, while the State
troops at Camp Jackson were at dinner, they
found themselves surrounded by fire to seUe'
thousand U. S. troops, and ordered to surren-
der uuc additionally, within ''thirfy nlniaes-
Their Commander, Gen. FROST, protested
against this procedure as uncalled for, un-
lust aud i'll egal, affirming the loyalty of his
men TO the Federal Government, &c, but all
To no effect His communications were not
even entertained by the COmmandant, LYON
who insisted upon an immediate aud uncon-
ditiOnal surrender. Seeing the utter nope
I.ssness of his command-with only 600 men
in camp. poorly armed and almost entirely
without ammuniiion-surround by a force
| of ten 10 one, well armed and equipped, WIN
sixteen pieces of artillery bearing upon his
eamp from surrounding heights, Gen. FROST
| d -cid-d to surrender and save his men from
| III ,ssacre, as also the city from being sackeu'
aud the women aud children from being
murdered by the hordes of armed vagabonds
around them. At this decision OF their
Commander, many of the men complained
and wept bitterly. preferring to die on the
field; and rather than give up their arms,
many broke them to pieces against the trees
in the grove.
But the most sad and bloody feature of the
affair had not yet occurred. After the men
had laid down their arms, and were marched
out between files of soldiers, the crowd OF
specta 'ors-including many women and
cbIldreu-cOuld no longer be restrained, but
| commenced to tsntaliz- the German soldlery
for their cOwaIdice, DC, at which they be-
tame very indi gnant, and rttorted. Great
excitement now prevailed along the line, and
it is stated ry some of the German soldiers
that a PISTOL shot was fired into their ranks,
| of which, however, no reliable evidence has
| ever .en produced. At any rate, the Cap
tain of one company ordered his men to fire.
when they Immediately brought their pieces
TO bear on the crowd, and shot down un-
armed men, women and children proPiscu-
of the Home Guards" brought their pieces
to bear on Capt. Vests company of City
Military, and were only prevented from firing
on them by the prompt and decided action of
| Capt. West himself. who commanded them to
raise their guns and cease firing on unarmed
| men, which they did. The men were then
| marched to the Arsenal amid the taunts and
insults of the German and Black Republican
population of the southern part of the city,
who were constantly calling out chang 'em,"
&c. At the Arsenal the officers and men
| were separated, and treated with every in
| dignity by the new recruits. The officers
aud men of the regular army were more gen
tIemanly towards the prisoners but being
comparatively few in number, could not con-
troll the raw and undisciplined band of Hes
SLAMS around them. TIE only food served to
the prisoners was pilot bread and water, and
that but once during their confinement, while
they were compelled to sleep on the naked,
dirty floor Of an out-t uilding, in which they
were chartered, and from which they were
not allowed to depart, on any c1use or prdenSe
achGteUT. AT er being thus held and treated
for some "a hours, they were graciously ten
dered their personal freedom, upon condition
that they would take a certain oath which
was prescribed TO them. To this all finally
a sented, except EMMETT MCDONALD, an Off
Ger Just reiurn,d from the South west border
with his command, who refused, and was held
in ''fmbO," has since been removed into Hi
nOis TO avoid the execution of writ of hdbeas
corpus. issued by Judge Treat of the United
States District Court. This case is now pen
ding for argument before the court. and if
ever allowed to come up, will doubtless de-
velope some mastery efforts in behalf of con
stitutiOnal liberty and rights. Especially
would we expect something brilliant from
Maj Uriel Wright. who has been one of the
most prominent and unfi nching Union men
of Missouri; but who now says that IF what
is going on under authority of the Govern
meut is to be sustained and perpetuated, then
the Government is a despoti>m, and ecery
AmeTioon citizen IS slQre''
Ga Saturday evening. 1lth inst, while
regiment of "Home Guards were marching
with their arms from the Arsenal to the north
ern part of the city, boy in the crowd on
the sidewalk drew and fred a small pocket
pistol, whereupOn the whole regiment turned
and subsequently, into the residences for two
squares, although no shots had been fred
iherefrom, and no insults offered By this
firing some half d, Zen were killed Instantly.
and many wounded. After firing The eou