Boise news. (Bannock City, I.T. [Idaho City, Idaho]) 1863-1864, 1863-11-10
POINDEXTER,s Appeal.


tyjail, charged with treason, as the leader o.
a band of rebel Missourians, writes the fol-
lowing sensible letter to his friends in North
Missouri and sends it to the Missouri Re
publican for publication:
Guerilla warfare can have no impression on
the final result of the struggle now going on
between the two contenGing powers. Its only
fruits will be desolation, devastation and
death. All history has proven that in all
countries where this system OF warfare has
been permitted, they seldom get rid Of it,
The worst men of the country engage in it,
for predatory purposes-and after the resto-
ration of peace, they still follow their nefa-
Tious designs, for the same selfish ends.
True, some good men hlndly engage in it,
but by associating with desperaGoes, they too
become contaminated, and in nine cases out
Of ten come to some bad end.
Let me admonish those who expect to en-
gage in a guerilla warfare in this State, and
those who expect to give aid and comfort BY
furnishing supplies, to stop and think before
making the fatal plunge into sea of destruc-
ton, and while meditating, to cast their eyes
to our western frontier, where you can see the
legitimate fruits of such warfare. Life and
property are as insecure IN the counties bor-
dering Kansas as upon the track of the Be-
dOuins of the desert. And would sooner
risk my life in the lands of those nomadc
tribes than to the tender n1ercies of the bands
of mercenary thieves who infest our western
frontiers As red legs" claiming to be
Federal soldiers, and as guerillas under GUAM
trell, claiming to be "Confederates, neither
of which are acknowledged by any authorized
power. When We look dispassionately at
their operations, can we call it war? No. 1t |
is slaughter, rapne and arson, and should De
put dowa by all lovers of law and order
Let us look for a moment to the fruits of
Quantrells late raid into Kansas. We see
an order issued by General Ewing for the de-
vastation of Vernon, Bates, Cass and Jackson
sounties. We also see a speech of Jim Lane
delivered few days since at Leavenworth
declaring that there is not loyal man in
any of the border counties, AID recommend i,
ng determination as the only safety for Kan
Ias. Can the Confederate Government pro-
ect the people of those counties? No. Who
hen is to prevent the execution of Lanes
plans The Federal authorities, of course.
Must the citizens, then, of the interior of the {
State be stabbing General SchofeId's troops {
n the back, whilst they are engaged in driv- L
ng Lane and his followers from our State ?
Never. 1t is the duty of every good citizen
if Missouri, regardless of his political opin- G
Ons, to put his shoulder to the wheel, and /
.eep pushing, until Quantrell, Lane and all :
UGH characters, are driven from the State, or +
nailed to the counter" e
Governor Jackson is beneath the sod; Rev g
olds dare not come into the State. Cover g
or Gamble is, therefore, the man TO whom !
he people should look for protection. 1t is h
ecessary that we should have law and order, v
nd, notwithstanding that have been held t
'ithin the iron grasp of the law for twelve 7
1onths, still love it nevertheless. We must h
ave government It is impossible for the a
confederate Government, at present, to or 8
anizs and protect the courts III this State g
therefore,, the task should be left TO power /,
Tho can. The destiny Of Missouri so far at n
East as the war is concerned, is fixed. Since c.
le fall Of Vicksburg, it is folly to think that G
lis State can be, successfully invaded from \
10 South, when all their supplies must come Il
Verland from Brownsville, Texas distance n
at least fourteen hundred miles, while Fed h
,al troops are posted on the Missouri river, +,
ON ST. Louis to New Orleans, within few n
AVS march Of the Texas route-at any point I,
etwesn tie two places. Missourians, then, v
lould Danish from their minds all hope of il
lccessful invasion of the State by General
rice, which is 10 release them from the "Lin- f.
lin despotism." n
II, therefore, you cannot consistently sub n
il! to the 'powers that be-" you had better |,
rig some purchase TO get into Canada or Il
Re Southern Confederacy. All who engage a
/ bushwhacking, together with their aiders v
nd abettors, VINO fail to fall by the sword, =,
ill be disfranchised, thereby cutting off their f.
lSt chance Of attaching Missouri TO the South, h
case that power should gain her indepen- 81
ence, for they can hardly hope that any for i
lidable power from the South will be able L.
} successfully invade this State during the !,
2ntinuance of the war, unless through the f.
reference Of foreign powers, the Mississippi -
yer should again fall into the hands of The ~
outh-a result which they can hardly ex- :
oct. i.-tl h
Let ME, then, entreat those who desire to Z
ght to make their way, as best they can, to b
le main armies of the South, and not, by =
leir mad frenzy, bring everlasting ruin upon =,
leir friends and country. To those who q
lust feed these bands, would say, do not =,
lfFer yourselves to be led int trap. These +
ands may gain sufficient strength to sustain ;,
themselves for few days in some neighbor- :,