White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1862-02-13

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leaving our country and it became a pe.
cessity to organize in order to retain on,
inhabitants. We then organized A..
companies 800 men. Itwss at this tims
they called me "Msjor." though l epl,.
ted as q private.
1t WAS found necessary to be recognize,
BY a U.sS. - gA6F officer, We had
heani 6UmG Gen. Eans's Officers that bs
hSf Sak cdekrol q said matters. With
Others. 1lwss selected l,y our forces to On
to Spripgfisld to zee Gen. Lane. Vi.
went; We saw Lsne; We stated to him
the coudiiion Of oar affair; that we de.
sired to be organized nnler U. S. author.
ity. Lane said Hunter was superior ul-
6cer it would be necessary for me to .,
to him Shef Lsne. however was eoipy
to m,1ch TO Kansas in few days, AMI
v would have control OF sll matters in re.
lstion the muster of troops. I though,
and told him wonh prefer to have
Hunter attend to it. lie told us to write
ont tender Of companies. FIVE in num-
ber and he would 60 to Hunter and have
him accept them. He informed me, tn.
next morning, that they had been accept.
ed by Hunter. and be Lane was author.
lied to appoint me mastering officer.
1 said to L.ne that bad q copy of the
U. S. Army Regulations. and saw by
them that only Irregular" could mus
ter troops. He said the old Regulations
were done away with. and that he had no
Regular officers. He had special authori-
ty to do as he liked. then thought, of
course that Jim knew oil about it! He
proceeded to write me q commission, as
follows:
HEApauAarERs, CAMP H. P. JOHNSON,
Near Springfield, Mo-, Nov. 8, 1861.
To C. S. Clark: ,.-z-...
Sn.-Trusting in your integrity, ability and
patriotism. hereby appoint you !. mastering Of
fcsr and direct you to repair to lola, Allen
County, Kansas BY the most practicable route,
and there proceed to muster in five companies of
cavalry, of not less than s. men rank and file
each, with proper officers
After said mastering you will make re9usi-
tions On the proper officers to make them efee-
tive. (signed) III. LANE.
Commanding Kansas Brigade.
Now Mr.. Speaker. felt tolerably tall
after getting that piece Of paper they
have called me Major" ever since
There is one matter that impressed me
at Springfield. / saw. captains of COM
panies making out descriptive lists of men
and doing everything pertaining to the
muster OF men. Lane requested them to
have their muster rolls in by the next day,
so that they could be sent up to Head
quarters at Springfield. and they could
then get their pay. All expected money.
Morning of ''pay day" came. Lane left
his ''white house." and came into camp.
lie gathered perhaps one hundred Officers
and soldiers about him and said "My
boys. l have thought it was not best to
pay you here in Missouri. I never liked
Missouri. This State and / have been
enemies ever since / can recollect. / am
going to Fort Scott with you. have the
money. There will pay you. Then,
If yon gamble your money away. Kansas
men will get it-and Kansas women will
get it. Kansas will then get it ALL"
Have the Kansas Brigade ever got that
pay? BY the exertions OF Gems. Hunter
AMI Denver, all the irregularities of Lanes
mastering have been overcome, and now
those troops are in fair way to be paid.
This miserable and willful mismanage-
ment Of Lane's-refnsing to cooperate in
any way with your State authorities-has
deprived honest soldiers of their paw for
six months. Their families have suffered
and arc now suffering their wives have
chopped wood they have gathered their
own crops for the winter. Had L.ne al
tended to his daty. instead of meddling
with politics. they would have been paid
long since.
l have read a speech of Lanes in the
U. 3. Senate, in which he remarks that
he challenged the Rebel troops to battle
on Spring river. and they declined. The
truth is sir. that Lane held . council Of
war when he found himself in their Vi
cinity. A part of the officers favored a
dash with the cavalry. supported by in
fantry and artillery. Lane dispatched .
man to investigate the position of the
Rebels. That man returned with start
ling news Of 10. 900 men near BY! Lane
Immediately ordered . retreat in Quick
time TO Fort Scott, without even seeing
The enemy. That WAS the celebrated
You have all read Lanes YER
sion Of it. This is mine. 80
But digress. After 1 arrived home. I
got the new Army Regulations. The
more rea,l. the better satisfied was that
had no authority to muster troops. That
vas not the worst of it. On having an
interview with Gen. Hunter, st Fort
Leavenworth. 1 found he knew nothing
If his acceptance Of our troops at Spring.
ield! Jim evidently lied about that
4 have read the newspaper accounts of
his great Exsdition. I don't believe in
t,rnn. l have seen q good deal Of james,
md. siter ali, I have come to tie conclu-
ion that he u one great humbug f"a
The intention Of the resolutions hero
'fered is 70 create an undue impression
!, favor Of Lane. q the expense of Gen.
iunter, who has done, moro for Kansas
han Lane, and made less fuss over it.
-eavenworth for months, and now intends
2 load an expedition to victory, Lanes
Peechcs throughout The East have 50
!nped the people, that, in my opinion
iunter thought it to Be his duty to issue
~ last order. announcing himself as the