The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-07-03

reduced bush whacking'' to science. d
They are at home, very quiet-seming and
Union citizens but they assemble clan
destinely in the woods when any move
ment is On foot with great celsr,ty. They i
ride the best Of horses, the shoes Of which !
are 30 marked that they can distinguish
the tracks Of their own troopers from {
Federal cavalry and they make their at
tscks only when in superior forco and
when success 10 probable. Their women
often do picket duty, and are as desperate
and reckless as the men. A captain of
Of one Of our companies along the border
spoke Of woman, who had been station.
ed on picket duty, leading aud urging on
the men Gin q late skirmish with the
bush -whackers) until the whistlipg bul.
lets admonished her Of safety 10 less |
prominent position. Any one tinctured
with Unionism on the Missouri side 10
snre to be visited by these desperate gangs
OF outlaws. Capt. Colemans company of
the 9th Kansas, had for sometime beer |
stationed in Butler, very considerable
town ou the Missouri side, and which
contained many Union men. But being
called away on duty. the day following
those portions Of the town containing Un-
ron families were in flames. IT WAS the
same day We passed through, and the
smoke was plainly seen from onr road,
about fifteen miles distant. Capt. Cole
man could determine by his glass what
! paris of the town were consumed, and he
J remarked that the rmainder was left for
, him, as he was to return there the mex!
] day.
About two weeks since guerrilla force
under Parker reached stone wall lane, q
mile or so in length, but short distance
from Westport, and got their mon secret
ed behind the wall just before small
y force of our cavalry entered. little dream
{ ing of an attack at that place. As our
: men reached the fatal spot they we're sub
{ ,os,ed to cross FIRE, killing sixteen oil
d seventeen, and then pursued back thro
g the whole length Of the lane by two o
], three times their number of cavalry. Pro
D miscuous side by side fighting was car
$, ried on between the two forces, but q
o neither party was armed with sabres no
. mapydeaths occurred after the first fire
> Our party killed five or six guerrillas
D and, Notwithstanding the disparity @
10 numbers, offered battle when the ope
CD prairie was reached, which was declined
;" The merciless bushw hackers on their wa
u back shot through the head all of our me
rs whom they found wounded, las heartles
and unmoved by pity or humanity as tn
n' stone wallis which compassed on eitht
"a side their bastard deeds. AS we passe
''e t1rough this lane few days after, cou
hs but reflect that this border strife was d
III generating into cisa acar in earnest, wi
D. al its horrors and unblushing deformit
Open and honorable conflict is rejected
S' our enemy, who prefer to STEALTH
~ poupce upon our soldiers, as the arm
~ assassin at midnight steals up and sprinl
- upon his sleeping victim.
At Kansas City-which, by the way,
: promising town, occupying commerci
c " a very important position-we We
% furnished with an escort of Kaw for,
:, English, Kansas) Indians. They w
-, under command of Lieut.. Delashmut. f
. merly an Iowa man, who takes great pri
- in their appearance and presumed hraV'
of which he intends to give the ret
sample in few days in their own bu
49,. whacking style. They are really e
), looking set Of savages handled their ar
80 quite skillfully, and rode with grace
-: ease. Being invited on the way to
us the war-whoop for diversion, they k
up their uAooping for number OF mi
70 rode with considerable fury, and SET
MS. ingly wrought up to war fever, "
'''' ready to pitch into any thing. Com
to flock of sheep, one of the :" brave
the in Don Quixotc style, pitched into tt
hnd with gun leveled, until called Oft by
and officers, when he retired quite "cf
are fallen" at the loss of his mutton chops
Your readers are doubtless apprise'
= the military changes in this District.
District of Kansas has been dividet
Gen. Schof eld--Gen. Blunt having
mand South. aud Gen. Thomas Ew
~, son of the we'll known statesman,
@ g Ewing, Of ohio,) Of the Northern.
- tl2th Kansas, under Col. Adams, Sol
- law Of Gen. Jim Lane, which has
and garrisoning Ft. Leavenworth, goes
~h;,a to Ft. Gibson and portion OF the
vansas (Ewinu,s ole REGIMENT vii