The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-10-16
Fosr MADISON, Iowa, Oct. IA,

| FORT MADISON, Iowa, Oct. IA, 1866.
EDITOR CARS CIrr:--IAss Wednesday
Coastitution contained what purported to be
an account ofthe election day fight IN For,
Madison" signed H. thereby intending
to convey the idea that it was written from
Fort Madison, by Jo. HOLMAN, but which eve.
ry one knows by the "6nger prints" ema.
mated from the brain of that prolific liar and
apostate Mormon, DAN. MILLER. DAN heads
his communication by quotation from the
Paaindeoler, to Justify the course he has taken
in sending lot of scoundrels to murder the
citizens of our town, we'll knowing that the
article quoted will not bear the Interpretation
he puts upon it, and was not call for Union
men to arm with guns. No man but a scoun-
drel with the print Of "K. G. c." on his black
heart, would conceive such an idea
The writer of this has been, and-is now a
member of the Union League, and there nev-
er has been gun, pistol, or weapon of any
kind inside Of the club room to my knowledge.
| The facts in the case are, that DAN made
that as an excuse to send his Jefferson Town
ship 'sDevil Creek Rangers" to overawe the
Union voters at the polls. They came in a
body about noon, mounted and armed, with Q
captain at their head, who gave the order to
halt at the Court House. when loud yell
rent the air, which awoke the citizens to the
fact that the threats ofthe copperhead leaders
was about to be carried out, and that in real
| lty band of Missouri ruffians and Devil Greek
| Rangers were in their midst. Up to this time
not an uncivil remark had been made around
the polls everything was quiet, peaceable and
orderly. Their taunts were met on every side
with spirit that did not appear healthy, and
they were beginning to think the job Of clean
in out Fort Madison had better be postponed.
The Cops found this would not do SO
CHARLES DoERR, our former County Clerk
took them to the only saloon in town that
was open, and there piled them with drink
until they, with drunken courage, were ready
to commence their murderous work
The melee now commenced by an attack
on young SaALLEY, soldier; then on JAxEs
LAYTON, a wounded soldier, who has lost the
use Of one arm; next on PERRY WRIGHT,
LowREY, WINERY, and other soldiers. In
fact, all the men attacked by these ruffans,
were soldiers. So sudden was their onslaught
that they gained a momentary advantage, but
it was only momentary. Other soldiers and
citizens came to their relief, and in less time
than can write it, Dan MllLrRs Butternuts
were taking to the alleys and streets, with bro
ken heads, and blood streaming from their
bruised and battered faces. Had il not been
for the almost superhumman eiforus of En-.
LAYTON, Capt. AGEY and other Union men
many of these scoundrels would have went
home feet first. TWAS Union men who saved
their worthless lives, let them into their dwell
ings, bound mp their wounds, and sent them
out of town.
A fact worthy of mention is, that during the
whole fracas, not one of the copperhead city
officials were about to stop the riot. Some of
them were seen in the crowd, but none had q
word to say until their friends were put TO
rout, and then they interfered, and ordered
the Union men to disperse who had actually
suppressed the riot.
The Constitution says they were @bovs in
blue, from Jefferson and Washington town
ships. Pretty sboys in blue are these Bull
ARDS and company. Just such soldiers as
CIAGETT and Dan MIILER's sons. who left
home to keep out of the army and flee from
the draft. 1t was DAs MILLER and CHAMBER
LAIN, as proven by the publication in ques-
ton, who induced these mercenaries to come
from another township and assault the peace
able. law abiding citizens of Fort Madison. 1t
was CHARLES DoERR who provided the drink
that urged them on 10 their dirty work
That part of the article referring to CHAN
RERlAIS. and what transpired in the evening,
is about as near the truth as the balance of
the article. CHAMBERLAIN is a poor, worth
less, mercenary cuss, hardly worth the ink
I'm using on him. Two years ago, the Union
men hired him TO sing for them, but before
the canvass was half over, they were all
ashamed Of him, and dispensed with his ser
vices and tried to get him to leave, which
he did. shortly after. This fall he offered his
| services to the Union men, bat they refused
to have anything to do with him. He then
sought the congenial company of the Fort
Madison copperheads and was employed by
them, and on the Saturday evening preceding
| the election, was at meeting in Jefferson
| township, where he followed the illustrious
| ~ example of DAS. and urged the 'sDevil
| Creek Rangers" to vote early and then come
| to Fort Madison and attack the citizens, who
were peaceably exercising the right of free
men. 1t was not so much for the part the
| fellow took in the Devil Greek meeting that
the citizens ordered him to leave town as it
| was to the suspicious attached to his associa-
| tons and to the absence Of any visible meas !
Of support. The fellow acknowledged to the
boys that he was caught in awful bad com
pany, and if God would forgive him, he would
try and do better in future. Nothing but re-
spect for sister and brother-in law saved him
from the Mississippi.
There are nearly two copperheads to one
Union man in Fort Madison, as the result OF
the election shows. Do they need protection
| from one half their number /? 1t is an insult
to their manhood, and no one but notorious
cowardlike the writerinthe Constitution would
make such suggestion. The whole transac.
ton, compared with the article only gives fur.
ther evidence what worthless scoundrels run
the Democratic machine in Lee County.
Yours, truly, CoRPORAI~
JrDGE APPERs0N, Of the circuit court fol
Amtgnnery county, Ky, hes decided that