Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-08-14
The Keokuk County war.

The Washington Press, Of yesterday, gives
detailed and interesting statement Of the late
troubles in Keokuk county. We CLEAN few
facts which have not appeared in our col.
umns: II
syp. Talley, as he was generally known
among his friends, was man of about twenty.
I'VE years OF age. He was minister in what
is known as the Missionary or Union Baptis,
denomination, and lived on farm near Ioka
IN the Southern part of Keokuk county, where
wife and two or three small children still
survive him. 1t has been but few months
since he became the most prominent speake,
for the Copp rhead portion Of the Democratic
party in this county; and latterly has been
almost cor stantly engaged in travelling about
making speeches thee and four hours in
length, and of the most inhamatory and
reasonable character. He advocated peace
by the immediate cessation of hostlities and
the withdrawal of the Uni army. He dwell,
long on the corruption of the abolition Ad
ministration," making it out worse than jeff
Davis. He would show the bravery and en-
durance Of the rebels, and the impossibil,ty
of their being conquered. He was quite a
ready and fluent speaker, but his speeches
CONSISTED almost entirely Of mere defamation
When he had concluded his speech at South
English. just before the fatal encounter, he
aouri,hed his revolver in the air, calling out
"Now boys, let us go back into town and
drive the devils out and burn the d--n
town." 4
The following are the names of the Union
men arrested at South English and held to
bail in the sum of $4,000 each for XII ling
Talley: Henry S. Downs, Thos. Morgan,
Page Morgan, d. NJ. Phelps, Frank Adams,
D. A. Cow, Norman Sloan, Amos Fluckey,
7. j. Norman, Ed. Cabler, Geo. G. Kouk-
wright, James Norman. They are among
the best men in the county-two of them,
Thomas Morgan and 7. Norman, are old
and respected citizens-the most unlikely
men in the world to engage in riot. The
part taken by the younger Moorman was Ger.
tainly very bold, and all will acknowledge,
very injudicious one but there are few
loyal men that will blame him when they re-
member that he was melted to the daring
deed by seeing on the breasts of men in
Talley's crowd, the reasonable emblems OF
the enemies of the enemies that
had made him cripple for life perhaps
The rebels of the South were long ago called
" Butternuts," from the color of their clothes,
and of course man in the North who wears
butte'nut breastpin plainly shows his SYM
pathy with the butternut rebels of the South,
so, at least, it is understood by great many
p rsons If Democrats are loyal, they will
discourage the WEARING Of these butternut
breastpins.
There is no doubt that the number of men
engaged in the mob was largely exaggerated
Probably this was done for intimidation -
From reliable sources it is ascertained that the
number was never larger than one thousand.
Mr. Sanders, county clerk at S Courtney, esti-
mated it at $50. They were organized in
squads and companies and were encamped
along the creek bottoms, where their friends
snpplied them with provisions and whisky.
They were armed with shot guns, rifles, re-
vo'vtrs, corn cutters, &C.. and were composed
of the lowest. most ignorant and vicious class
Of the community, some of them being bare
f,ot and bareheaded Bill Jordan of Rich
land, is reported to have said of them, that
afer robbing widow of all her bee hives, and
c. ickens, they commenced to organize by
adopting the rule, that the man who could
count foe was entitled to corporal's position,
and he who counted 100 was to be Brigadier
oS'SAoA' 1AlIAOuSu e1Ao ID q JONC, ~ AA1Ay
repr sents the character of the mob.
Warrants have been issued for the arrest
Of 25 or 80 Of the most prominent leaders of
the mob, and up to Monday night some eight
or nine of them were brought in. Among
them were: Bill Small, (said to be Comman-
der-in ChiefO Russell Higgins, D. N. Hender-
son, John Cochran, F. A. Dorr and SAINT
feathers Henderson demanded an imme,
date trial, and accordingly he had hearing
before Judge Rogers County judge on
Monday afternoon He was held to appear
at the next term fthe District Court in the
sum of $1,000. The others gave bail in a
like sum. Late Monday night three others
We're arrested for approprlating their neigh
boris sheep for the subsistence Of the mob
So that to the crime of conspiracy, is added
that of sheep ssealing. The whole thing
will be legally investigated and the guilty
punished.
Thus ends this at one time formidable in
surrection, and "all is quiet on the Skunk"