Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-06-27
OUR ARMY CORRESPONDENCE
RECENT OPERATIONS OF GUHRILLAs IN SOUTH
EASTERN MISSOURI.
WAyNEsvIL:E. Mo-. June 5.

n Va SASASSAhSht, N"uscH oy tuo plcocuCo a'
e depredations Of band cf guerillas under t
lead of Coleman, noted secessionist al
jayhawker
On Saturday night, the 18th of May. bar
of about one hundred men, mounted ar
well armed, crossed the main road only thre
fourths of mile west of this place. AT th
time, and for weeks previous, the entire fort
in this place was just .1iue men; the telegrap
line repaitcr and myself made seuen, whic
was the sum total of Uncle Sans boys in tn
county. You may imagine our anxiety a
fighting and prospective journeyings Dixie
ward pr, sented themselves before our i'm
aginaton.
They pulled down the telegraph line a
they passed, which cut us off from communi
eating with the authorities at Lebanon, bu
by using the ground wire l soon had tn,
story in Rolla. After numerous question.
and answers orders came as follows, from the
commander at Rolla:
sect yourselves ready in the Court Hous:
OF some other atrong building and you can
easily defend yourselves against one or two
hundred men until can get aid to you.-
Never surrender! S. Is. BOYD.
Col. Commanding Post"
AS soon as the rebels had passed over the
hill, entirely out of sight, l sent out re-
pairer and had the wire put up. As the
rebels seemed to have ."other fish to fry"
that time, the world will never know but
what seven men would have: held hundred
at bay until reinforccments could travel
thirty five miles to US.
Monday morning, at 6 o'clock, our aid
arrived-4O men, under Capt. Martindale, of
the Oath Missouri. Before midnight of that
night a train Of II wagons, all heavily
loaded with commissary stores for Spring
field. was burned at the Big Piney, eleven
miles east Of here.
Early Tuesday morning We received news
of the burning of tho train, and also of their
threat to destroy the empty train returning
from Springfield which would camp on the
same ground that night. Orders were teles
graphed from Rolla to the Captain to put all
his men into the wagons and secrete them as
much as possible so as to give the train an
inviting appearance to the rebel scouts who
were thick all through the woods on either
side Of the road.
Just after getting orders for the Captain
rain set in which completely cut me off from
The east, as the rebels had cut pole down
where they burned the train, and the rain
had made heavy ground connection, through
which it was impossible to work. The Cap
tain had me take up my instruments and so
along, as it would not be policy for two men
to remain. l got in one Of Uncle Sans
coaches and soon Waynesville was evacuated.
No attack was made on the way, and at
8 o'clock in the afternoon we reached the
scene Of the rebel exploits the night pre-
vious. The ruins were yet burning In
each wagon was a cask of hams, O200 lbs),
and the fire had only burned the outside of
them. and nicely cooked the inside. got a
hard cracker from one Of the boys and then
| pulled ham out of the fire and with
pocket knife soon found the unburnt meat,
and sitting down ON a rock l enjoyed my sup
per. perhaps, just as well as would if l had
been at the Ogilvie. '
Picket guards were put out early and
everything made ready to salute the burners
when they came. .-,.l. -u
Ten o'clock, and nothing exciting
The men were told to lay on their arms,
ready for instant action. I got q musket
frem 9th Iowa boy who was too sick to use
it, and laying it by my side laid down in a
wagon to dream Of home and far away
Soon the rain began to pour down, and as
could not find an empty place long enough to
get entirely inside, my feet had to hang out of
the end of the wagon in the ram. The alter
nate jolting and walking in the mud and rain
during the day had given me quite an appe
ti.e for sleep, so did not keep awake long
on account of wet feet
Two hours Of rest, and all the camp was
instantly in stir, as the keen sound of the
musket and of one of our pickets echoed
through the hills. .s.
About 40 of the 9th Iowa-the wounded
from Pea Ridge and the convalescent from
the Springfield hospital on their wal home
were with the train, and all at 5nce their
wounds were forgotten and their diseases
ceased to trouble them as they grasped their
we'll tried muskcts and formed a line, swear.
ing that if the rebels burned this train they
should not do it as easily as they did the
other one. - s.-e t. a..s ..
- :"They are comingv' shouted the picket
guard from the hill ab owe US. -a s
Let them come, we are readyl'' was
shouted back by the boys. 43 syte.ae.
The rebel scouts reconnoitered around foa
half an hour, ard were fred on several time.
by our pickcts, when, concluding there was
more than wagons to- be burned inside oul
lines, they withdrew ~
At two o'clock the reconnaissance was re
newed, but as there was no chance for sur
prise, they sensibly abandoned the job.
The next day th ey captured and burned
train of 80 wagons, Qoaded with supplies TO
Curtis on the read from Rolla to Houston
| A few days after and another train wa
attacked near the latter place. This time al
escort was along, and the fun began imme
diately. An hours lively engagement an
the rebels fled, leaving 13 Of their numbe
dead on the field. Our loss was two killed
A Captain was shot thr ough both knees an
had to have one leg al nputated, and six
seven men slightly woul lded. I ass 1q
| Things have quieted down now aud hoI
| this is the last attempt that will be made j