Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-03-10
A CARNIVAL OF DEATH.
Granssic Account Of Bill And
erson'S Swo0p on a Fated
Railway Train.
A Line of Fed raj Soldiers Winnowed
Unto Death by the Vengeful
Guerrillas.
The Terrific Charge Upon Major john
sons Command and the Carnage
That Followed.

CESTR LILA, MO-, req. IL HAVE
been walking on historical ground to-
day. I have seen the spot where
eighty odd federal soldiers were stood
up in line upon that memorable
day IN the autumn of the year OF
1868 and winnowed unto death by
Bill Anderson and his men. All,
that was a dreadful day for the peo-
pie of Centralia and there are many
here yet, who shudder with
horror whenever the dreadful episode |
IS referred to. Stepping into store
here to-day, l asked one Of the pro- |
prietors if he was present when the
train was stopped and the air was
filled with the demoniac shouts of the |
guerrillas? YES" SAID he, II was
nere and am not likely to ever for |
get all Of the circumstances connect !
ed with that awful carnival of blood
and DEATH
Il am newspaper man. l re-
piled, land would be Obliged if you
would tell me all about it,
"W"H," he replied, ''the first l
heard of the matter was the day be-
fore, when learned that Bill An
derson and his men were IN the
neighl orhood bent on mischief. The
next morning about nine O'Clock, the
guerrilla rode into town with thirty
or forty of his men and commenced
levy upon the stores for all they
wanted. They arrested the telegraph
operator the first thing to keep him
from giving the alarm, and had their
own way | can tell you. One of
them got hold of some whisky and
then he tied Union flag, which he
had captured in town, to his horses
tail and raced around the streets like
wild pawnec Indian. =. soon un-
derstood what they were really up to.
The train was due from st. Louis
at IL O'Clock in the morning and
it was known that there were a good
many federal soldiers aboard, going
home on Through. | realized at
once that
AN AWFUL TRAGEDY
was soon to take place, for knew
that Bill Anderson and his men would
never allow a single man who wore
/ the blue on that train TO escape with
his life. We could do nothing to
warn the fated railway train, for q
guard was stationed around town and
no one was permitted to leave. The
guerrillas were kept busy piunderins
the few stores until the rumbling OF
the distant train Was heard as 1t
thundered down the grade and then
III. all got together and proceeded
to the depot. On came the train
with lis load Of human freight, into
the very jaws of death, but none on
board had an idea of the doom that
awaited them until the engine Stacked
up and halted at the depot. Then
the guerrillas made prisoners of the
engineer and called upon every man
in the cars to surrender. There was
a hig raw-boned soldier aboard who
knew Bill Anderson and as he saw
him he knew that surrender meant
death for every soldier on the train.
Boys" said he, ''here is Bill An,
derson and his cursed guerriIlas, and
if YOU surrender you will be sho1
down like dogs; let's give him tlls
best fight We can Suiting the ac'
ton to the word. he drew his revOlv
er and fired, wounding one of tn,
guerrilas. If there had been any
hope for them in the first place there
was none after that, tor the guerrilla'
became terribly enrased and com
menced shooting right and left. Blu
a few of the soldiers had arms of an,
kind and were, therefore, soon over
powered and compelled to surrender
They marched them oul and stoo'
them in row opposite the train, ant
when they were all in line, tn
7 auerrillas drew their revolvers ant
! fired away until every one in the lin
dropped in his tracks. Ah, it wa
an awful scene to witness, and | nev
er want to behold another one ike il
After killing all of the soldiers
eighty five in all, they put full hea
/. of steam on the englne, tur"ed tn
valves open, and sent it on towar
the north with no one aboard. The
then set fire to the cars and shoutin
like wild men over their terribl
work, rode off towards Singleton
barn, about two miles south of here
where the balance of the comman
awaited them. When the euerrill;
were all gone, the citizens dug dee
trench near where the dead solder
n had fallen and buried them In Oh
n common grave.
Il he news of the terrible TRACED
spread over the country like wiidtir
and was soon communicated to Ma.
Johnson. who commanded hattalit
of state militia at Paris, ten mil
from here in Monroe county. Ib
Major johnson was brave but ra:
y and inexperienced officer, and nett
cr himself or his men were capab
of coping with the terrible revolv
fighters. AS soon as Maj jor Johns'
heard the news he rallied his men i
s,antly and started tor Centralia.
HIS BLOOD WAS ON FIRE,
and he swore that he would bril-
a Bill Anderson into Centralia, de
= or alive, before sunset, or he w"u
die in the attempt. Citizens W
-. knew what folly it would be for job
- son, with his one hundred and FL
new recruits, 10 attack Anderson a
his one hundred trained bushwhae
ers. enieavored to calm him do
and prevent him from rushing to
doom. He would listen to no Oh
ard swore that all who were altemI
ing to turn him back were cowai
themselves or in sympathy with
red handed guerrillas. Just as
l. rode into Centralia a beautiful you
girl ran ont from her fathers re
dence, and catching hold of Jol
sons bride reins beseeched hi n "
tears In her eyes, to beware OF 4
derson and his men. She told
that she had a presentiment tha
he look ID for Anderson that he wo