Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-05-14
Exciting Times at st. Louis.

The telegraph has already apprised orr
readers that. on the 10th inst. portion of
the militia of Missouri, encamped near St.
Louis, had been -ur- oInded by large force
of o. S. troops and compelled to surrender.
The State militia were uBder the command
of Gen FRosT. and had gone into eneamp-
meut on the order of Gov. JACKSOX, under
thr m..i,fa laws of the State. for the term O.
SIX DAYS. II appears that rumOrs had pre-
vailed for day or two Of the intention Of
the commander OF the troops at the U. >.
Arsenal Capt. \. LYON. 10 break up the en
campment, and on the morning of the 10th,
when he marched his men, several thousand
strong, with about twenty pieces of artillery,
in the direction of the camp. the most intense
excitement Immediately agitated the city.
Arrived at the camp, they Immediately sur
rounded it, planting batteries on the sur
rounding heights Long files of men, we
learn from the Republican, were stationed in
piatoOns at various points on every side, and
picket guard established covering an area
of say two hundred yards. The guards, with
fixed bayOnets and muskets at half cock,
were instructed to allow none to pass or re-
pass within the limits thus taken up.
By this time an immense crowd of people
had assembled in the vicinity, having gone
thither in carriages, buggies, rail cars, bag
gage wagons, on horseback, and on foot
Numbers of men seized rifles, shot-guns, or
whatever other weapons they could lay hands
upon, and rushed pellmell to the assistance
of the State troops, but were, of course OBJ
structed in their design. The hills, of which
there are a number in the neighborhOcd,
were literally black with people-hundreds
of ladies and children stationing themselves
with the throng, but as they thought, out of
harms way.
Capt. LYON having the encampment, as it
Frost demand to surrender, giving him
half an hours time to comply. Immediately
on receipt of the demand, Gen. F. collected
his staff, and after consultation, they arrived
at the following conclusion
The Brigade was in no condition to make
resistance to force so numerically superior.
With bat few field pieces of small calibre
and with less than a dozen raunds of car
tridges for his command, battle must nee
essariIy be of short duration. and of but one
result-the total rOut and defeat of the State
troops. To have witbstood an attack would
have been sheer recklessness and cruelty to
the men of Gen. Frost's command. In short,
the Brigade was not by any means in war
condition. Gen. Frost stated, moreover, that
he had no war to wage upon the United
States or its troops; that be was only acting
in cheerful obedience to the orders of his SUI
perior officer, and in compliance with the
laws of the State; that he mad ANTICIPATED no
conflict, and would not willingly jeOpardiZe
the lives of his men in anything that might
be construed into hostility TO the United
States Government. Gully one course was
to be pursued, and that was quickly agreed
upon. viz: a surrender.
Having surrendered. Capt. LYON proposed
to release them on condition that they would
take the oath to support the constitution OF
the United States, and would swear not to
take up arms against the government. This
they declined doing. and preparations were
made 20 march them TO the Arsenal. The
Repa6lieoa says
About haif-pasf five the prisoners of war
left the grove and entered the road, the Uni-
ted st ties soldiers enclosing them by single
He dlotl1 tdCD SIDE OF The line. a
halt was ordered and the troops remained
standing in the position they had depIoyed
on TO the road in. The head of the column
a The time rested opposite small hill on the
left as you approach the city, and thu rear
was on line with the entrance TO The grove.
Vest crowds of pr"ple covered the surround
ing grounds aud every fence and house top in
the vicinity. Suddenly the sharp reports OF
several firearms We're heard from the front
OF the column. and tue spectators that lined
the adjacent ball we're seen fleeing in the great
est dismsy aud terror. Ii appeared that
several members ct one of the German COM
panies, on being press by .be crowd and
Receiving some blows from them, turu,d and
discharged their pieces. fortunately no one
was injured. and the soldiers who had done
the act were al once placed under arrest
Hardly, however. had tranquility been re-
stored when volley after volley OF rife reuorts
were suddenly heard from the extreme rear
ranks. aad men, women, and children were
beheld running wildly and frantically away
from the scene
Many. while running. were suddenly struck
to the sod, and the wounded aud dying made
the late beautiful field look IKE Q battle
ground. We went over the ground fmuedi-