Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-10-05
Over Two Thousand People Gathered
at the Old Fort on the 9th Ult.
Addresses by some of the Heroes
of the Memorable Struggle.
Judge Emerson, Gov. Fletcher and
Col. Murphy Among the Speakers.
Letter Read From Gen. ThOmas
Ewing.-PersOna Etc.
Ist. Louis Republican, Sept. asth.

Letter Read From Gen. Thomas
Ewing.-PersOna Etc.
ISt. Louis Republican, Sept. 2sth.]
The special train with the excursionists for
Pilot Knob left the new depot on the Iron
Mountain road, corner of Fourth street and
Chouteau aveaue, yesterday morning for Pilot
Knob shortly after 9 O'Clock. Mr.. j. j. Frey,
Assistant General Superintendent of the Iron
Mountain road, accompanied the party, In Or
der to see that it had proper attention. At
De Soto about forty more excursionists got
aboard and joined the st. Louis party. The
run to Pilot Knob was made on time. The
weather was cool and crispish, the scenery
noble in fields green and brown, with here
and there a blush of red, and few sombre
hay stacks occasionally gave tone to the fields.
PERSONNEL.
The following officers, who held the fort on
the great historical occasion, were on board
tue train, their names and titles being given
as they stood in the fort eighteen years ago:
Col. Thomas C. Fletcher, in command of the
Forty-seyenth Missouri infantry. Capt. P. F.
Lonergan, Assistant Provost Marshal in conf
mand of the enrolled MALTA organized for
the fight, four companies of whites and one
OF slaves. Capt. Lonergan, it may be added,
enlisted as q fifer in Gen. John b. Hender-
sons brigade at Louisiana in 1861 and grad
ually rose to the rank of Colonel. Lieut.
Gov. Campbell said of him, that he could Ell
ther play fife or command brigade. Capt.
H. B. Nfilks, of Company II, Third NJ. S. NJ,
detailed az chief Of cavalry on Gen. Ewing's
staff during the battle and retreat. He was
| the last officer to leave the fort. He was or
dered ut u NJ. to remain in the fort one hour
after the command left, and at P. NJ. he fired
the magazine and blew up the fort. He laid
the train" $50 feet long over the draw bridge.
Capt. Milks ordered Sergt. VIM. H. Moore,
now of ClarktOn, Dunklin county, Mo-, to
touch the candle that he had lit to the end Of
the powder train. When the Captain gave
| that, Captain, for there is plenty of fire back
Of Us, pointing over his shoulder. The Cap
tain cast his eyes back and saw a blaze COM
ing out OF the magazine seven feet high. Ev-
cry man then set spur to his horse, the ami
| mails flying away helter skelter. They had not
got away more than 200 yards from the fort
before the magazine exploded, filling the air
| to great height with flame and bursted shells.
Among the other officers on the train were
Col. David Murphy, Adjutant of the Forty
| who, by Capt. Lonergan's orders, took COM
mand of the artillery in the fort. For his
bravery and gallant conduct in the fight he
| was ordered the highest need of praise by
Gen. Ewing and all that officers command.
Capt. II. ID. Wood was Lieutenant and As
sistant Commissary of Subsistence OH the
| first days fight. He kept the stores as long
as possible.
Fred Fichte was soldier in one of Loner-
gan's companies and helped defend the fort.
Among other prominent officers who met in
| the fight at Pilot Knob was Col. Nelson Cole,
who had one of the batteries in the fight. Col.
Cole afterwards commanded a brigade in the
Powder river expedition against the Sioux
ibe hardships, having had to subsist on the
| frozen carcasses of their horses.
Gen. John Mcneil, who was one Of the first
| men to enter the Federal service, also took an
active part, having been in command at Rolla
during the Pilot Knob fight and having taken
Maj. G. G. Gardner, who was in the Twenty
seventh New York Volunteers, Sixth corps,
Army of the Potomac, in the first battle Of
Bull run, and in all the battles of the PENN
sula under Mcclellan, and who was wounded
at Gaines Mill, was on board the train. He
is now resident Of ST. Louis.
OTHER ST. LoUIsIANs
on board were as follows:
Maj. III. d. Wood, Major and Commissary
of Subsistence; Col. j. o. Churchill, Lieu
tenant Colonel and Assistant Quartermas-
ter; Capt. John S. Knapp, late Captain Sew
enteenth U. S. Infantry; DR.. J. Mcclure, Col.
Jno. w. Fletcher, Lieutenant Colonel Forty
seventh MISSOURI Infantry; E. A. Rozier, A.
w. McGregor, John +. Mckinney, Third Mis-
souri, Cavalry; r. Hornberger, Lieutenant
Fourth Missouri Cavalry; 7. j. Delamere,
Fortieth Missouri Infantry; g. N. Barre, Fiji
teenth Missouri Infantry; Capt. 3. Paschall,
Captain Thirty fourth New York Infantry;
Arthur Dreifus, Nintn Ohio Infantry; Adam
L,s~1o oil
Charles +. Walther, Seventh Missouri Infan-
try; Thos. THOU, Illinois Militia; John II.
Comrades, Missouri Militia; August +. Donk,
Edmond C. Donk, Ulrich Schwendener, Cap
tain Fifteenth Missouri Infantry; M. s. Bar
nett, Third New Jersey Cavalry; John Schmid,
Ninth Ohio Infantry; +. j. Zwart, James A.
Harris, A. Schnelle, S. Kehrman, Captain
Fourth Missouri Cavalry John III. Baker, Or.
w. II. Grayson, Henry McNichols, Mr.. Tur-
ley, Col. L. J. Rankin, DR.. Deadrick, Chas.
Chris. Koenig, First Missouri Artillery; VIM.
J. Powell, Fortieth Missouri Volunteers; Dill
Buckman, First Missouri Artillery; j. j.
Scharr, First Missouri Artillery; Or. W. +.
Farrar, j. w. Maxwell, VIM. Bailey, j. Il.
Pinkerton and E. A. McNair.
THE LADIES.
The following were prominent among the
ladies accompanying the party: Misses Anna
THOU, Blanche THOU, Kate Jijou, Mrs. Jno. II.
Comrades, Miss Josie Comrades, Mrs. NJ. S.
Barnett, Mrs. j. B. Paschal, Mrs. A. w. Nc.
Grepor. Misses Addie Hinchman, Luella Cum
i,jngham and Blanche Cole, Mrs. Kate Nc
Mutt. Mrs. J. A. Harris, Mrs. Geo. Fl. McCon-
mel, Mrs. Maggie Dexter, Mrs. Sarah McWil-
iiams, Mrs Jno. III. Bcrker, ,Mrs.Jennie Brown,
Mrs. DIR. Grayson, Mrs. Turley, Mrs. l.. Ran
kin, Mrs. Deadrick, Mrs. I. c. Fletcher, Miss
Honey, Mrs X. VI. Wood, Mrs. Bartholow,
Misses Annie Sands and Annie Rankin, Mrs.
Chris Koenig, Mrs. VIM. J. Powell, Mrs. Dill
FasseII and Minnie Dixon, Mrs. Fl Farrar
and Mrs. j. w. Maxwell, A large number OF
excrrsionists boarded the train at DeSoto.
THE ARRIVAL.
On arriving at Pilot Knob the excursfonists
were greeted by large crowd which had