Santa Fe gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1859-1864, 1863-11-07


hence his Orntorical popularity. At the commence.
ment OF the war his vanity led him to wear better
coihes than the rebel officers could generally pro.
cure; so our worthy sported blue cost, got upas
per regulations but he found whenever he was
engaged in skirmi min, which was pretty Of
ten, that his own men blazed away at him
rather more frequently than he thought was con-
ducge to his health, jeff took his followers to
task therefor and, as was customary would haran-
que them, and blow ont his cheeks, and cock that
jaw Of his, aud throw his face into all conceivable
contortlons, and work hard to show them that
that was not the sort Of fighting he admired, The
rlh-raa would cheer and laugh and promise amend
ment, but they never did amend, and the whstl-
ing Of those friendly" bullets around bis ears
took those vain notions out Of his head, and ho
subaided into his proper gray or his original but.
tefnut.
General 7, formerly Of st. Joseph, Missouri,
was merchant there--a politician, too on rather
a small scale--and somehow managed to be elect
ed Mayor Of that city. Ia all his political vagaries,
however, he was not a secessionisL until some time
after the war broke out lie was strong States
Rights man and rather inclined to be on abOl.
llVulau liIa lpibaHtllu Iulpullo Ntlb VI tHU
dubious order, and consisted mostly in his getting
trusted East, while his business qualifications were
close down to zero; and az his habits were not
such as were proper for small tea party, he
coulla't weather the llllncil crisis of l657-59
and 1859, and he went under, as many fine fell
low did along side of him As he said of himself
be was dead broke and was as poor as any man
dared be and i've" The beginning Of the war
found him in condition to take up on either side,
or in any cause which would give him three meals
u day and u chance to cut slash.
lie was married man, and, as smart and
, shrowd and bitter as he may be, his wife ia as
smart and as shrewd and, it would appear, rs Bit
ter In all respects it is thought that the firm Of
D. I, and wife consisted Of three quarters wife and
a very small proportion Of jeff. Thompson. 1t is
probable that The silk en- cords of wedloCk CALLED
J our future Brgalier some. Ills wife was as much
of politician as ho and she was Union in senti-
ment, JEFF, couldn't bear that, and wouldn't try
to, and it is thought this circumstance induced
him to lumber off with Price and Marmaduke, aud
that style of patriots, who thought they saw big
thing in oYeIturning order and insttuting war and
anarchy, And Mrs Thompson took up her re.
, sidence in st. Louis
F, For long time Gen Thompson commanded a
: motley crew Of rebels in the northern part Of Ar
/ kansas, and once in a while had really occasion to
transact business with some Of our Generals; but
D Jeff upon the principle Of one secesh being equal
to five Yankees, thought himself equal to the best
f and would negotiate with no less parsonage than
t Gen. Grant, thereby improving his opportunities
: to be impudent, aippant and saucy. lie always
! addressed Gen. Grant as "Dear General, or "My
Dear General On one occasion jeff. sent in
0 ilag OF truce with prisoners The flag brought a
communication addressed
"1o Major General q. S. Grant, command
= ing United States forces &c
:. "DEAR GENERAL: send you by this flag of
truce seventeen Federal prisoners that my scouts
and bush whackers have picked up and request
D that in exchange you would send me seventeen Of
: the d---dest meanest secesh you may have in
; your hands, and Iii more than even with you at
b that.
+ "Yours, truly,
j, an. JEFF. THOMPSON,
o "Rrigadier General, G, 5. A.
r The demand was complied with by General
Grant, and the exchange was effected,
- About tho time our authorities bethought them.
Il selves to rid St. Louis of "Conledeates," and to
send all rebel sympathizers South, Gen. M. JEFF.
n I sent in another communication under flag OF
It truce. 1t was addressed:
"To Major Gen. u, S. Grant, Com'd. &C.
- "MY DEAR GENERAL. hear that the abolition
? authorities Of ST. Louis have determined to send
4 certain persons South wish, SIR that you would
:. use your influence to have them allow my wife 10
"a remain at her home in ST, Louis,
: '1ndeed, if those authorities are consistent, they
have no right to Danish her, for she is Union in
sentiment, I'll pledge youm word she is Union;
u "a and III promise that she shall never in any way
~ ~ b. aIburden upon those sweetscenod authorities
IL "She probably has not the necessary funds to
s. travel with and, besides, by Cd, don't want
het down in Dixie.
c. "With renewed assurances ofmy high regard,
IL an, &c., NJ. JEFF. THOMPSON,
"Brig. Zen. O. S. A."
,h Mrs. Thompson was allowed to remain in 81
ny Louis, which OF course gave jeff an opportunit,
SO to write again to Gen. Grant. So ho fitted ou
n another aag of truce, and sent in another commu
ve nication, addressed;
ILL 10 Major General U. S. Grant, Command
n I ng, &C.
"DEAR GENERAL: have wife in st. Louis
and id poor excuse for a wife she is too
that am bound to support would, therefore
ask that you send her tho enclosed sxty-Gye dol
lars. No receipt is necessary. / am only boun
to do my best to support her; so as to tho result
my efforts, don't care one d--n.
Yours truly; ...-
90 NJ JEFF. THOMPSON,
Brigadier General, G. s. A."
NJ. The money was forwarded rs requested, for n
IN GOOD Union woman could be allowed to suffer- a
he though her husband was an impudent cur and
es, rebel ..-.
nd It appears that when he was captured he VI