The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1864-10-08

Further Confirmation and Particulars Of tn,
"1 Horrible Affair. ~
Mexico Mo Sent "a 1864

forenoon, 1t becomes my unpleasant duty to
recount the particulars Of the horrible massa-
ere of Union soldiers at that place yesterday
afternoon by the combined gangs under Bill
Anderson, Thrailkill, Poole, the two Todds,
and others, numbering, according to best &C
counts, nearly 400 men, all wearing blue over
coats. They camped three miles from town,
on Singleton's farm, the evening of the 26th,
and the next day captured the passenger train
going north, robbed the passengers, and mur-
dered all the passengers-just twenty-four in
number-who were unarmed and incapable of
resistance. Seven of them belonged to the lst
Iowa cavalry veterans, going to st. Joseph on
business, and only three of them with arms,
and some discharged from Sherman's army.
After burning the depot and killing the
agent Of the road, they set the train on fire and
started it of towards Sturgeon. It ran about
three miles and burned, and the passengers
walked on to Sturgeon. = ,-.rt,
A construction train followed up the passen-
ger train, and was taken, compelling the En-
gineer to run his locomotive over the bodies Of
the soldier that lay on the track, throwing the
forward trucks off, when they made him fire
the train and threatened to kill him because
he couldn't make it all burn. r.s .-.,.. e..,
Between three and four o'clock, Maj john
son and 1876 men of Col. Kutzners regiment,
came in Sturgeon. The gang had left, and
they followed, leaving about forty men to
guard the place. ei9siaai{ag-si p .7-- 8
About one and half miles tfromhtown they
found the enemy waiting for them, who charg-
ed them, and it is supposed killed all. Sixty
eight were left dead in the field of Mr.. F. B.
Fullenwidder's farm, and fourteen between
that and town. "a baG 'tl-r eig Is, ~s-
= They then returned to town, and the troops
there thought they were their own men until
they were almost to them, when they charged
upon them. and the soldiers retreated towards
Sturgeon, but they killed sixteen or eighteen
Of them, and dispatches from Sturgeon say
that only twenty-five escaped to that place.
It is supposed that Maj. Johnson and Capt
Baxter are among the slain, not all having
been brought in at the time of writing. Two
were scalped, and all were more mangled, hav-
ing been repeatedly shot after they were
dead. Some surrendered, being promised safe
ty npon that condition, but were instantly shot
after laying down their arms. Il 81 J. cI
Four of the murderers were killed in the
fight, and several wounded, by report of Mr..
Singleton, who saw them, and among them one
Of their Captains, but all were taken away.
Thus perished 122 soldiers. as brave as ever
Ii ved, by the most inhuman butchery that this
war erer witnessed Col. Dyer is busily en-
gagged, with Major McDermott, of the 1st Iowa
cavalry, in bringing the bodies to this place
for interment i.a4" A-t" q =
The blood of our mangled comrades cries out
to rs for rengeance. and we are sworn TO take
it. - ,e7s. HENRY L. MORRILL,, -, ss. %.
First Iowa Cavalry, Veteran Volunteers. = .