Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-10-22
THE BAXTER SPRINGS MASSACRE.

MT II. b. Clark, OF LeaFenworth, Kansas has fur
nshed the newspapers Of that city with brief
OF the guerrilla attack in the beginning of this month
upon the fort at Baxter Springs which Immediately pre-
ceced the massacre Of Gen Bunts escort heretofore
announced, and particulars of which are given ia
the subjoined extract of a letter nom Gen Blunt
Baxter Springs is on the Plains Nxty-three miles below
Fort Scott Lieut. Pond appears to have been in com
mand at Baxter Springs at the time Of the attack The
" Tort at that place was merely breastwork, with
ditch inside There were pickes out As the garrison
were about to sit down to dinner the rebels upon
them out of The woods and rode to within FIVE rods of the
fort and commenced filing There were in the fort near
hundred and fifty men, about third being
and six-pouDder hoai,zer Every man sprang to bis
gum and Lieut. Pond and express messenger worked
the The rebels evidently were not locking for so
strong force, and Ono Of their officers said
that the fort too heavy for them and returned the
other side intending to attack it again But
the rebels upon the rise Of the hill they discovered
Gen. Blunt. and Immediately left the fort aud at
tackled him.
The result of this attack Gen. Blunt is best DE-
scrbed in letter from himself dated at Baxter Springs
in the night of the 7th instant We extract:
You will probably have heard some Of the particulars
OF the affair here yesterday before you receive this The
escort Co Third Wisconsin, and Co. A. Fourteenth Kn
sas consisting of one hundred men, behaved dsgraceuly
| and st4mpeded like a drove OF frig h'ened cattle
did not anticipate any difficulty until we got below
this pant Wearrlved near this camp at about twelve
and halted on the hill almost in sight Of the camp and
more than four hundred yards distant to for The
and wagons tn cl up. The up dis
mounted to wait for the train which but short dis
tance behind.
At this time my attention called to body of men,
about hundred advancing in line from the tmbec of
Sprirg River on the left, which you will recorct
than three four hundred yards from the road The
left Of the line not than two hundred yards from
Lieut. Ponds camp at the apring They being nearly all
dressed 10 Federal uniforms, supposed them at first to
be Lieut. Ponds cavalry (two companes) service. Al
same time my suspicious were srosed by some OF their
movements.
II ordered the wagons which had come up to the rear
and formed the in line with their carbnes unslug,
while advanced alone toward the par front 10
rtan if tLey rebels had advanced but short
distance when they opened fire. at the time firing
h. ard down in Ponds camp Turning around to give
the order the escort to fire discovered them all brken
and going over the prairie to the west at full speed
They did not discharge the loaded carbnes they had
in th-r hands, except in few cases. Had the escort
stood Underground soldiers should have DONE they could
have driven the enemy 10 ten minutes lendeavored IN
with the assistance of Major Curtis, 10 halt and form
| portion of them. ,..
when the escort stampedsd the enemy discovering il
| rushed wi h YELL followed by another line OF about
two hundred that emerged the edge of the timber
Beng better mounted than they closed Ia
them The of the escort much scattered, and
with them it a tor life Altar gong mile sue
ceeded in hating fifteen men, including Lieut.. PIERCE
company l4th Kansas, who has done his duty well aud
noby throughout Az soon got them IN Ina and com
menced advancing the pursuing emmy they fet AID
fell back thu wood when their whole commaGd (six
bundred) formed in ile Of battle The remainder # the
that had escaped all out If sight in the ad
Curtis had been to fall from his horse which
had been wounded, and stumbled in crossing ditch
About ooe o'clock sent L.ut Iappan, (who had
kept with all the tme,) wi b four men t. Fort Scott
while wi the other nine Determined to remain until
the fate of those that had fallen could be rnueJ
whether The post ihe spiGg had been capurd, which
l much fear ed the As they fell back III the
road followed them up tie ground we had come 10
look for the wounded, but all with two three sxcep
tons, (who had escaped accidentally were kiledsh"t
through the head All the wounded had been murdered
kept close to them and witnessed their pundering IN"
wagons At TINS they made dash at me with about
one hundred eadeavoring 10 surround me- but failed
In their purpose As they moved oil the road leading
south went down to the spring aud found them all X
Lieut. Pood, Of the Third Wisconsin, and also h,s
mand entitled to great credit for the they
pulsed the enemy and defended the post"
i "A OF the wounded shot through the head, and
thus murdered The band wagon was captured and al
Of the boys shot in the after they prison
ers. The the with the teamste and Mart
my driver. O'Nell (artist for Fraak LESLEY xii cd
with the band boys. All at the office clerks except one
were ki LODI also my orderly, Ely Major Henning in
me. But few Of the escort who escaped have come in
suppose they have 10 Fort Scott The dead
all bulied, but the number will not fall short Of seventy
FIVE. The enemy numbered Fix huudred-Q uantrir- an
Coftys Commands. They are evidently lnIt ning 90
south Of the Arkansas have scouts tn trail Two
have just in ard report coming up with them n the
crossing Of the Neosho River Others still following
them up Whether they will directly south the Fort
G BISON Road, Grand River t. Cowrkin Prairie,
River, close by Baxter.
Il fortunate in escaping in my efforts to halt ard
rally the men, frequent in the and b-came CON
sideraby ixed up with The rebels who did not fail t.
me their c, mpments Revolver bullets dew round my
head thick hail; but not 4 scratch. believe as Lot
to be killed by n rebel bu let"
TIE OHIO ELECTION.