The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-05-04
The s.. Louis Arena. 81



how 1t WAS STRIPPED BY AN ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER
SPRINGFIELD, April 2Sth.
Especial Dispatch to The Chicago Tribune.l
I am now able to give a complete and accu.
rate narrative of the transfer of the twenty-one
thousand stapd Of arms, from ST. Louis to Spring.
field. ~ aaa
Capt JAMES II. SroKEs, Of Chicago, late of the
Regular Army, volunteered to undertake the ber-
iious mission; and Gov. Yates placed in his
hands the requisiton of the Secretary of War
Tor ten thousand muskets. Captain Stokes went
to st. Louis and made his way as rapidly as pos
sible to the Arsenal. He found it surrounded
by an immense mob, and the postern gates
all closed. His utmost efforts to penetrate the
crowd were,4 for q long time, unavailing. At
last he managed to attract the attention of one
of the guards by whom he sent for the Captain
OF the Company stationed at that part of the
Arsenal yard, and to him he made known that
he was bearer of dispatches from the War De.
partment. With some difficulty, he was admit
ted without attracting the particular notice of the
learned that Major Hayner, of the Ordnance De
partment had just been ordered to Leavenworth
whittier he had gone on the preceding day. He
had been superseded by Major Calender, an old
class mate of Capt. Stokes, Mag. Calender and
Capt. Lyon, the latter being the officer in com
mand Of the regular troops and volunteers. The
requisition was shown. Capt. Lyon doubted the
possibility of executing it. He said the Arsenal
was surrounded by thousand spies, and every
movement was watched and reported to the head
quarters of the Secessionists, who could throw
an overpowering force upon them at any moment.
Capt. Stokes represented that every hours delay
was rendering the capture OF the Arsenal more
certain; and the arms must be removed to Iii
nois, now or never. Maj. Calender agreed with
him and told him to take them at his own time
and IN his own way. This was Wednesday night.
Capt. Stokes had spy in the camp of the seces
sionists whom he met at intervals in certain
place in the city. On Thursday he received in
formation that Gov jackson had ordered two
thousand armed men down from Jefferson City,
whose movements could only contemplate seiz-
ure of the Arsenal, by occupying the heights
around it and planting batteries thereon. The
700 would have been an easy one. They had al
ready planted one battery on the ST. Louis ievee,
ana another at powder point Il short distance be-
low the Arsenal. Capt. Stokes Immediately tel
egraphed to Alton to have the steamer City oil
Alton drop down to the Arsenal landing, about
midnight. He then returned to the Arsenal
and commenced moving the boxes ofguns, weigh
ing some three hundred pounds each, down to
inc lower floor. About seven hundred men were
employed in the work. He then took i've hund-
red Kentucky hint-lock muskets. which had been
sent there to be altered, and sent them to be
placed on steamer as hind to coper his real
nore'ne,,ts. The sccessionists nabbed them at
once, and raised perfect bedlam over the cap
ture. large portion of the outside crowd left
the Arsenal when this movement was executed ;
and Capt. Lyon took the remainder who were
lying around as spies, and locked them up in his
guard house. About IL O'clock the steamer
CITY Of Alton came alongside; planks were shoy-
ed out from the windows to the main deck, and
the boxes slid down. When the ten thousand
were safely on board, Capt. Stokes went to Capt.
Lyon and Major Calender, and urged them, by
the most pressing appeals, to let him empty tie
Arse,,1. They told him to go ahead and take
whatever he wanted. Accordingly he took elev-
en- thousand more muskets, five hundred new rifle
carbines, five hundred revolvers, one hundred
and ten thousand musket cartridges, to say nothing
of the cannon, and large quantity of miscel-
aneous Announcements, leaving only seven thou
sand muskets in the Arsenal, to arm the Saint
Louis Volunteers.
When the whole were on board, about two
o'clock Friday morning, the order was given by
the, captain of the steamer, to cast of. Judge
o. the CONSERVATION of all hands when it was
found that she would not move The arms had
been piled in greatquantties around the engines
to protect them against the battery on the levee,
and the great weight had fastened the bows of
the boat firmly on rock, which was tearing a
hole through the bottom at every turn OF the
wheels A man of less nerve than Capt. Stokes
would have gone crazy on the spot. He called
the Arsenal men on board, and commenced move
ing the boxes to the stern. Fortunately, when
about two hundred boxes had been shifted, the
boat fell away from the shore, and toated in deep
water. (which ways" said Capt. Mitchell, of
the steamer. Straight to Alton III the regular
channel replied Captain Stokes. What if
ne are attacked?" said Capt. Mitchell. "Then
We will fight" said Capt Stokes "What if We
are overpowered?" said Capt. Mitchell. Run
her to the deepest part Of the river and sink
her." replied Capt, Stokes "Pll do it," was the
heroic answer of Capt. Mitchell, and away they
went past the secession battery, past the entire
ST. Louis levee, and on to Alton, in the regular
channel, where they arrived at o'clock in the
morning.
When the boat touched her landing, Captain
Stokes, fearing pursuit by some two or three o.
the secession military companies, by which the
city of St. Louis is disgraced, ran to the Market
House and rang the tire-bell. The citizens came
focking pell neil to the river, in all sorts of hab
iliments. Capt. Stokes informed them of the
situation of things, and pointed out the freight
cars. Instantly men women and children board
ed the steamer, seized the freight and ciambereC
up the levee to the cars. Rich and poor tuggeC
to gether with might and main for two hours
when the cargo was all deposited in the cars, ant
| the train moved Off amid their enthusiast,
cheers, for Springfield.
When Capt Stokes reached this city, he was
80 exhausted by sixty hours of incessant labor
and excitement, that he fell asleep while endeav
oring to recount his adventures to Judge Tium
bull Secession has now received its fatal blow
not only in St. Louis but throughout Missouri
When it became known that the arms were
gone, the ST. Louis RepuJlica,. began to preach
peace and neutrality, the mnute-men ceased
brawling for JEFF. Davis in the streets, and Gov
Jackson began to advise against calling The
State Convention together.
While Captain Stokes was taking the arms
the Secessionists were planning to capture thu
Government powder house, about mile below
Il is reported here that they had seized it before
they became aware that the arsenal was enptied
Sec ession Terrorism in Tennessee..-JohL
BELL Succunbs.
from the Louisville journal, April 25.
The Nashville papers of yesterday bring intel
lipeuce of the detection Of John Bell and tn,
Ewings. Less than week ago these gentlemen
united with other distinguished TeBnesseeahs il
| sending forth an address to the people of Ten
| nessee which was ciose ptraphrase OIL the Au
dress OF the United States Central Committee o
Kentucky They solemnly declared it to be tn
duty of Tennessee in the unnatural strife ITO de
cline Joining either party" and calling upon he
to assume and maintain position OF armed neu
trality They CALAMITY locked hands with tn
| Union men of Kentucky, and appealed to tn
! patriots of Tennessee to make one great last e.
fort for the arrest of civil and for the SAWS
ton of the country. We republished this az
peal in the Journal of Monday. On Tuesda
night, before our paper laden with these Jus
and noble sentiments mad fairly lifted its wing
and cleared the premises on its mission of loya
ty and peace, John Bell and Ewin II. Ewing an
Andrew Ewing, three Of the principal signers {
the appeal, declared before the excite. populae
of Nashville in favor OF Immediately taxing q
arms against tie gope'rment, AID making conan.o
ccs,ase agiM tue seeding States Mr.. Ewin II EV
ing even went SO far az TO proclaim his readine!
to march under jeff. Davis against the Nations
Capital A more sudden and utter and inglor