Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-12-24
THs uHxrRAI1A a1AuaHTER.
frrom the Contrulla Guard. {

49,.
From the Ccntrslla Guafd.1
Tho work of exiuming tho re-
mains OF companies A., q. aud H.,
of tho 39th regiment Missouri Vclun'
ieer l~nfnntay, who wero killed ia the
famous Bill Anderson fight, at; thil
Ipoint, on. the 9th day of September,
1854, and buried on the ontskirts -oi
town, commenced ON last Wednes.
fday, the 18th inst, under the direc.
ton Of Capt. Nelson, who has fol-
sometime past boon engaged In col.
letting the remains Of Union sol.
ldiers In various parts of the state,
and forwarding them to tho National
Cemetry ut Jefferson City for burial
Tho co,itrnct for taking up the bodies
was awarded TO Mr.. Jas. Ii. Harris
of this place, at $3.50, and the con.
tract for removing the monument
was given to Mr.. Z. A. Brown, ut $3t
for the job.
The bodies arerburied east oftown
near the railroad track, in u long
trench, about three feet deep, and lie
five abreast in reR,llar order, The
trench raiis due east and west, and
tho bodies lie with the Heads west
aud feet easts Large square. pine
boxes are provided, the bottSm Of
straw, into each box three skulls are
placed, and an equal proportion Of
bones shoveled in, .aitlioughrin many
Instances 1t is utterly impossible 10
get all the bones belonging to certain
skeletons In u box, consequently
Smith and Jones are mixed up pro.
m~iscuously audit will be some trouble
to sort themselves at the resurecion.
About flfty-six bodies were takca
up the first day. Nothing but skele.
tons wire found the. flesh having
long since decayed. Hats, boots and
shoes were found in q remarkable
state of preservation, and III many
instances houses and other portions
lof clothing were still found clinging
to the bones. When buried O hat
had been placed over the face Of each;
these still remained. Pocket knives,
combs, metal buttons, aud even yials
ofsmcdicine were found, as also were
several wcll-Biled cartridge boxes.
Many of tue skulls displayed sugges.
tive looking round holes, and soIHe
hats appeared perfectly riddlcd. The
skeletons were with one or two ex-
ceptious, of small size, showing that
nearly all were yonng men. What
wonders q few short years have
wrought! The force engaged i'll the
work of discnterring was composed
of mel q part of whom had worn
the blue and the other tho gray, and
II few ycars-back were deadly enc
iHies, but now worked side by side,
as trends lamd brothe 9 MI actuatet
ty-a single objcct--the almighty dol.
lar. Crowds of people thronged
about the spot each day, seeking to
graiify n morbid curiosity. Among
those attracted, were persona whG
were eye. witnesses of the fearful
conflict, and had seen those animated
skeletons when IN the flesh, full OF
life aud vigor, and in the form OF
manhood: but now, what a startling
contrast represented in those scared
and yellow bones, and grinling
skulls that greet the sight.
In connection with the foregoing.
and as a matter of local interest, VIC
copy from the Columbia Herald the
following description of the terrible
conflict, written by Il citizen of Cen.
~tralia, who was, or claims toahave
been, an eye witness of the scenes
enacted OIL that bloody day:
Very unexpectedly to the citizens
of Centralia, Bill Anderson, a noto-
rious guerilla chicftain, made his APP.
pearance i'll our town on the mOrik
ing of the 27tlL day of Scptember,
1864. with Q company Of cavalry
numbering about one hundred men,
~splcndidly equipped and under thor.
ough discipline. He Immediately
proccededsfo acts Of hostility. The
train was stopped by distractions be-
twas boarded and the passengers told
better part of valor under such Cir.
cu~mstances, and the passengers
"sHELLED OUT"
The soldiers. above referred to mum.
bered twenty-thrce; twenty-five
were taken from the train and shot
aud also one citizen who unfortun.
atcly wore the ''biue." Why one
of these soldiers was allowed to es.
cape the fate of the others is n mys.
terry to all. The train was then fired
and the engineer made to put on
fstcam and jump oft tie engine, and
let the train go. Tic train ran about
two and u half miles before it stop
ped. The coaches were entirely con.
sumed. After the butchcry Ander.
sou went into camp about two aud i
half miles southeast of town where
Col. Todd (confcderats) had pre-.
viously encampcd. Yhe united force
consisted Of
THREE HUNDRED MEN.
7 About two p. II. Major Johnson, in
command of 1856 militia of mounted
infantry, arrived in town aud made
inquiries of the whereabouts of An.
derson, his strength, &c. lie was in
formed as correctly us possible by
the citizens and advised not TO pursue
Anderson as he woulti>t ertainlv be
defeated should he encounter him.
The advice was disregarded and Johu-
son proceeded in the direction of the
fatal field. lie met the united forces
ofTodd and Anderson (Todd being
in commaud) on what is now James
u. Garrard's farm, about one and a
half miles southeast of town. The
engagement took place on q slight Gle
vaiion, which hid the opposing foe
unit. the ridge was reached. An en-
gagcment Immediately commenced,
which resulted in the
ALMOST COMPLETE ANNIHILATroN
of Johnson's command, johnson
himself being among the slain.
iSixty-ci@ht out of the 155 were killed
on the field, and only sixteen of the
remainder escaped in their flight to
Sturgeon, ten miles distant. Amder-
sons loss was only three killed and
two or three wounded.
The following morning Col. ID. 2.
dyer -(federal) had the. bodies of
those killed, who We're taken from
the train, aud those who were killed
on the retreat from the battle field, III
town, taken to Mexico, Mo. Those
killed on the retreat from here to
Sturgeon were taken to that place ;
and those killed Oh the battle field
and between there and town.. with
the exception of johnson and a few
others recognized by friends, were
buried just outside the town limits
on railroad ground,
in AsINaLE TRENCH,
BY the citizens. in accordance with
orders from Col. Draper (fedcra!)
who came here in the afternoon of
the eth with 400. men and remained
until tic following day. During the
night every business house in the
place was burned by the men, though