, 1862-01-06
THE NORTH MISSOURI BRIDGE
BURNERS.

BURNERS.
4 .Mslitdry Coa1rt-1'he Rebel BrsIgr Barncrs-
They e{ain, 10 BE- Prisoners Of War-Brtdge
B"rsasng a Military neecssity-Thc E,fte Of
Boone County.
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Trlbunel
PALMYRA, Missouri, Dec. 30, 1861.
The Military Court for the trial Of The
Bridge Burners was convened today at 10 A.
NJ. Tic Court is composed Of Col. Groes.
beck, Of the Ohio 59th, President; Lieut.. Col.
c. J. Tinkham, of the Illinois a6th; Capt. Il.
T. Mcdowell, of the Ohio 33oth, Co. 4; Capt. D.
C, Benjamin, of the Ohio s9th, Co. I; Assis-
tant Adjutant General a. Binmorc, U. s, A.,
Judge Advocate.
The Court holds secret sessions, admitting
only one prisoner and the witness in his case.
The number Of prisoners charged with the
crime Of bridge burning is thirty. They were
all brought out in front Of the Court House
for Identification, and again returned to the
Jail, from which they will pass ont sinsly for
trial, and if found guilty will be shot, so soon
as the finding Of the Court is approved at
headquarters. No attorneys are engaged on
either side, to mystify the case, but the Elcts
will be carefully elected.
Most Of the prisoners arc turner's, as we
learned from personal visit to them to-day.
Many Of them are reputed wealthy, several
claim to be Prices men, though all deny the
charge against them. All are dressed in their
everyday suits, twenty six wearing the but
ternut colored jeans Of the country, one blue
jean, two hard times, and one, q sort Of dandy,
has on Light stuff From my experience
here in Missouri, have formed dislike to
the butternut color as being synonymous with
treason, and shall hereafter hold it in no high
esteem.
From conversation with the prisoners nc
learned, first, that there vas 10 bridges to
burn. Second, that they did not burn them,
but that 1t was done By the other men.
Third, that if they did burn them it WAS by
order Of Gen Price, their superior officer and
country's savior, and as military necessity :;
all of which they propose to make apparent
they arc prisoners ofwar and if they are shot, it
will at once raise the black fags, ,andtheir blood
will rise up as the blood Of martyrs and drive
out the whole Black Republican race of Yam.
kce nutmeg pcdd1ers. They are positive that
Hallcck does not order them shot, and vii
treat them as prisoners OF war, to be fairl,
and honestly exchanged.
The above is 10 fancy sketch, butthe asser
tions Of these deluded men Of The testi
nony against them We cannot speak until aftc
the trial but common rumor has it that it il
Of the most overwhelming kind.
These men, most Of them, claim to be SC
ccEsionists Of the r:nkcst kind, and when ex
changed, as they expect to be, promise to carr,
on the war.
| They think they see the hand OF ProYidenc
III this wholesale destruction Of the railroads
as these are worth to the Feds, as they call on
troops, full thirty thousand men, for the Fl
cility they give in transportation Of men IN
munitions Of war, and thus the military neces
sity Of destroying them.
-Four Of the prisoners arc boys, one Of thcl
not over sixteen, while the others range froI
twenty-five to ffty-seycn, men Of matur
years, who 20 deliberately to work, and whc
if found guilty, should meet the reward {
their crimrs, and no doubt they will The
, complain that they are thrown together wit
other prisoners aud treated as fclons, when th
| fact is they have been feted aud fed with NOR
dainties since they came here, than at homt
| nc ha acsidu;fiac cf tha ea,nps;c,, TaI;ac +
40 ;a1ss ha,.e 1'aos, ~ o1n,,od III y;
h1'{ t1"+ t,e.- ara ~ hasn ~ :
'n1,ad ~. 7+3, t,,o 1+o1t J,;1D ~
81 .eo H., u =.
nens. 10y n' ~ aIel'1sauA .i ~ aul'tI. ~ 4
tnls .he i4 ntsef a. - lne ou.Loiil, NJ ~ ne
,o!u ~! t4ete w IN 4!sEela II N4ltHee
alSsoult' ihcS lnGh sa{ IL - LUZ eohsalsutaon =
Ignts VI lle 9outn: 7..: !nes are uounu 10 n5n
e Ll1'eqin anu nis aoollnoa eIem, tose.ner ~ l.
n the Detdoclse1c palss "ho A''e ho" toite
agi.nst lat ~ eoa4H.
onS Lns p1!sgD.S,s D, ~ s"o c,'Ptlllls ~
r oIe ..la ~ lt1ee aiy, Wy "Gte H.
ers ~ ~, 4o.o1o 1',t t'1 ~
:ueu "sae ~ ~ V.au.e, uuI ~ !lte
I t1' t;s ti1s ~ n ~ ~
ale nv" eofhreu NY: waen nv enn.5 ~ one ~!
1.on @ loou. tnls lucy lesent 10 = agIeat 1uul
Ee MY On t4elI I1snss ~ priSone1s " "aI. u
II tnlcelen lha1 lne sooth WILL soon fedress Liz
"IUnse.
Is 1AtIe Is NJ douDt tuat th1s gene1at DuTini
&c M5S ~ o5ael ol us5' IEce' lntenaeu u
1oloHeu ~? oy Eenclai Ilsine, anu ~ pro!e y
nlnl ~ tHc REFORMATION ~ us army anu u
OF IA. uiaf t9l t lnese iaen nlea peliotinS ~
II i,. " ~ To- 10 supposS ,na' iue
u patt ~ ,I5 ps eaailea ou,, al1o l'i1s tnet
le soon ~ " cAellanseu VI lescusu. SeLtsn y;
H. tngil ota!1ns, hlLu ~" eAGeptious, nla u
anu notulns t9uls: fassuIsuls tuc esnoonA
tei - halleu ~ LIE paiS " tue 1lcl.u 'i1eya
IN ~ Is true ! y" VI 1uGnl shIlnh lroln me. tne !e
uene s ~ ~ Stant ;,,11, ~ nuts eAAeH 4
| EdIt Uu EIIuEI EluC-SIUp1t uEulftlS. Il