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

The So. Louis Arsenal.
HOW IT WAS STRIPPED BY AN ILLINOIS voLUSrgER
SPRISarrLD, April ss,h.
Especial Dspatch to The Chicago Tribune
! am now able to give complete and sccu-
rate narrative of the transfer of the twenty -one
thousand stand OF arms, from ST. Louis to Spring.
Geld.
Capt JAMES H. Sroxss, of Chicago, late Of the
Regular Army, volunteered to undertake the ger
iious mission; and Gov. Yates placed in his
hands the requisition of the Secretary of War
for 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,. for = long time, unavaiing 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
crowd. On reaching the Arsenal proper, he
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had been superseded by Major Calender, an old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, Maj. Calender and
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 Hi
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 contemplat seiz-
rre Of the Arsenal, by occupying the heights
around it and planting batteries thereon. The
Joo would have been al easy one. They had oil
ready planted one battery on the st. Louis levee,
and another at powder point a short distance be-
low the Arsenal. Capt. Stokes Immediately tel
egraphed to Alton to have the steamer City OF
Alton drop down to the Arsenal landing, about
midnight. He then returned to the Arsenal
and commenced moving the boxes of guns, weigh
ing some three hundred pounds each, down to
the lower floor. About seven hundred men were
employed in the work. He then took five humid
RED Kentucky hint-loca muskets. which had been
sent there to be altered, and sent them to be
placed on q steamer as blind to coyer his real
movements. The sccessionists nabbed them at
once, and raised perfect bedlam over the cap
ture A large portion of the outside crowd left
the Arsenal when this movement was executed;
and Capt. Lyon took the remainder who we're
lying around as spies, and locked them up in his
guard house. About IL o'clock, the steamer
fYf, af 4]fn,, oil MA he aoho
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 han, empty the
Arsena. They told him to go ahead and take
whatever he wanted. Accordingly he took elev-
en- thousand more muskets, five hundred new rife
carbines, five hundred revovers, one hundred
and ten thousand musket cartridges, to say nothing
of the cannon, and a large quantity of miscell-
aneous Announcements, leaving only seven thou
sand muskets in the Arsenal, to arm the Saint
Louis Volunteers.
When the whole we're on board, about two
o'cloek, Friday morning. the order was given by
the, captain of the steamer, to cast oil. Judge
of the CONSERVATION of all hands when it was
found that she would not move. The arms had
been piled in great quantities 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 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 foated in deep
water. (which way 2" said Capt. Mitchell, of
the steamer. Straight to Alton III the regular
channel,v replied Captain Stokes "Whst if
ne are attacked" said Capt. Mitchell. "Then
We will tight!" 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 "I'll do it," was the
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 of
the secession military companies, by which the
city of ST. Louis is disgraced, ran to the Market
House and rang the fire-bell. The citizens came
fockng pell nell 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 clambered
up the levee to the cars. Rich and poor tugged
to gether with might and main for two hours,
when the cargo was all deposited in the cars, and
| the train moved off, amid their enthusiastic
cheers, for Springfield.
When Capt Stokes reached this city, he was
so exhausted by sixty hours of incessant labor
and excitement, that he fell asleep while endeay
oring to recount his adventures to Judge Tium-
bull. Secession Las 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 Republican began to preach
peace and neutrality, the minute-men ceased
brawling for jeff Davis in the streets, and Gov.
Jackson began to advise against calling the
State Convention together.
While Captain Stokes taking the arms
the Secessonists were planning to capture the
Government powder house, about mile below
It IS reported here that they had seized it before
they became aware that the arsenal was emptled
Secession Terrorism i'm Tennessee--.Joh ohm
BELL Succumbs.
TFroul the Louisville Journal, April 25
The Nashville papers of yesterday bring intel
ligence of the detection of John Bell and the
Ewings Less than week ago these gentlemen
| united with other distinguished Tennesseeans in
| sending forth an address to the people of Ten
| nessee which was close psraphrase of the Ad-
dress Of the United States Central Committee of
Kentucky. They solemnly declared it to be the
duty of Tennessee in the unnatural strife ito de-
| cline Joining either party" and calling upon her
| nd I'M, ", noStinp n armed