Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-05-03
How it Was Stripped BY an Ii :reis Vol
LnteeI
Especial Despatch to Chicago Tribune.

SPRINGFIELD, april 28th.
l am now able to give complete and
accurate narrative Of the transfer of the
twcnty-one Thousand stand Of arms, from
St. Louis to Springfield
Capt James Fl. Stokes, Of Chicago, late
Of the Regular Army, volunteered to I'M
dertake the perilous mission and Gov
Yates placed in his hands the requisition
Of the Secretary Of War for ten thousand
muskets Captain Stokes went to St. Lou
is and made his way as rapidly as possible
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, unavail-
ing. At last he managed to attract the
attention of one of the guards by whom
he sent for the Captain of the Compa
stationed at that part Of the Arsenal yard.
and to him he ma lie known that he
was bearer Of Dispatches from the War
Department. With some difficulty, he
was admitted without attracting the par
ticular notice Of the crowd. On reaching
the Arsenal proper, he learned that Major
Hayner, of the Ordinance Department,
had just been orlered to Leayenworth,
whittier he had gone on the preceding day.
lie had been superseded by Major Callen-
der, an old class mate of Capt. Stokes at
West Point. A council was Immediately
held between Capt Stokes, Maj. Calender
and Capt Lyon, the latter being the off
eer in command of the regular troops and
volunteers The requsition was shown.
Capt. Lyon doubted the possibility of ex-
ecuting it. He said the Arsenal was sur
rounded BY a thousand spies, and every
movement was watched and reported to
the headquarters Of the seoessIonists, who
could throw an oyerpowering force upon
them at any moment. Capt. Stokes rep
resented that every hours delay was rem
dering the capture of the Arsenal more
| certain, and told him to take them at his
own time and in his own way. This was
Wednesday night. Captain Stokes had a
spy in the camp OF the secessionists whom
he met at intervals in q certain place in
the city, On Thursday he received in
formation that Gov Jackson had ordered
two thousand armed men down from JEFF
fcrson city, whose movement could only
contemplate a seizure of the Arsenal, by
| occupying the hcighths around it and
planting batteries tEereon. The job wo'd
have been an easy one They had already
planted one battery Oh the St. Louis Ievee
and another at Powder Point, short dis
tance below the Arsenal. Captain Stokes
Immediately telegraphed to Alton to have
the steamer city of Alton drop down to
the Arsenrl landing, about midnight He
then returned TO the Arsenal and common
ced moving the boxes Of guns, weighing
some three hundred pounds each, down to
the lower floor About seven hundred
men were employed in the work He then
took five hundred Kentucky fint-lock mus
kets, which had been sent there to be al
tered, and sent them to be be placed on
the steamer as blind, to cover his real
movements. The Secessionists nabbed
them at once, and raised perfect Bedlam
over the capture. A large portion of the
outside crowd left the Arsenal when this
movement was executed, and Captain Lyon
took the remainder who were lying around
as spies, and locked them up in his guard
house.
About II clock, the steamer City of
Alton came alongside; planks were showed
out from the windows to the main deck,
and the boxes slid down. When the ten
thousand were safely on board, Captain
Stokes went, to Capt. Lyon and MAJ. Cal
lender, and urged them, by the most press
ing appeal, to let him empty the Arsenal
They told him to 90 ahead and take what
ever be wanted. Accordingly he took
eleven thousand more muskets, five hun
dred new rife carbines five hundred revol-
vers, one hundred and ten thousand mus
ket cartridges, to say nothing of the can
non, and large quantity Of miscellane-
Gus accoutrements, leaving only seven
thousand muskets in the Arsenal, to arm
the st. Louis Volunteers.
When the whole we're on board, about
two o'clock Friday morning, the order was
given, by the captain of the steamer, to
cast off Judge of the CONSERVATION of all
hands when it was found that shes would
not move. The arms had been piled in
great quantities around tie engines to pro-
tect them against the battery on the levee,
and the great weight had fastened the
bows of the boat firmly on a rock. which
was tearing hole through the bottom at
every turn of the wheels A man of less
nerve than Capt, Stokes uld have gone
crazy on the spot. He called the Arsenal
nen on board. and commenced moving the
boxes to the stern. Fortunately, when
about two hundred boxes had been shifted,
the boat fell away from the shore, and
foated into deep water,
Which way?" said captain Mitchell,
Of the steamer
Straight to Alton in the regular chan
mel, " replied captain Stokes
What if we are attackcd?" said cap
tain Mitchell.
Then We will fght.!' sad captain
Stokes.
What if we are overpowered y said
captain Mitchell
Run her to the deepest part of the
river and sink her, replied captain Stokes.