The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-11-08

suspicion that they might have had,
that he was not what he claimed TO be.
They said they could not take him to
the camp, IS Il was quite a distance 70
ride, and they were not then going
/ there. They then moved of and Pal
mer gained the road. His first thought
was to return 10 the uniOd camp, but
he saw the cOnfederates still looking
at him, and so concluded 10 continue
south.
After going about half mile fur
ther he came 10 q house where he saw
several men, and walking up boldly,
lie asked IL they had seen COW with
a broken horn. The confederate camp
was only q short distance from here,
aud the men were rebels. The owner
81 the house began 10 question him,
and said he did not know the widow
for whom Palmer Was working.
Palmer thought the nnn was begin
ming 10 be suspicious. Fortunately IL
was growing dark, and Palmer, re-
marking that the widow had moved
la about six nIDnth before, asked for
drink Of water, aud said it was getting
late, and lac must be going.
AS soon a. he reached the rOad he
turned again south, a. IL he would go
away from the town. This gave him
a chance to look back toward the house
when he saw the men talking together
and looking AZ him very suspieiOusly.
tie walked on aud as soon as the trees
hid him from view he left tue rUAd
aud plunged into the woods toward
tile river. He ran until he was out Of
breath, and then walked until II was
pitch dark. Once he approached
voices, and thought they were search
ing for him, but found on listening
that the vince proceeded from men
tending cattle. lie was now lost In a
dense forest, aud expected every mo-
nient To hear a rebel yell "Halt."
stopping a few moments To- collect
his thoughts, he concluded 20 find the
river and follow the current until he
reached Lexington. AMER some diff
Guilty he found the river and aseer-
tanned which way Il ran, aud STUN
bling over logs aud sinking TO his
knees in the mire he followed the
windings Of the river % the town, aud
reached the camp at daybreak. He
went Immediately to Gen. Mulligan
and reported what he had done. The
general cOmplimented him, but did
blame him, as he ought 10 have done,
for leaving the camp without permls-
sion.
On September IS, 1861, Gen. Price,
with about - 600 men, attacked the
union force, which consisted Of seven |
companies II theFirst Illinois cavalry, |
the Twenty-third Illinois infantry, |
the Twenty fifth and Twenty-seventh |
Missouri volunteers, and the ThiT- |
teenth and Fourteenth Missouri home |
guard under the command Of Coils. |
Peabody and White, both OF whom |
were brave men.
The First Illinois cavalry was un-
der command of a colonel who hid |
himself during the whole fight In the |
deepest trench he could find. The |
whole union force numbered only 2, |
100 men. Palmer's company, with |
horses saddled, was held in reserve |
and posted in depression Of ground |
within the lines under command Of |
Lieutenant Samuel Douglas. Find |
ing the reserve position rather mOnOt- |
OnOus, Palmer left his company,
giving his horse In charge of a |
companion, and finding a musket and |
ammunition, he went 10 a place on the |
lines where the firing was pretty |
heavy.
On the 18Th, the confederates took |
the hospital just outside the union |
lines. The building was constructed |
Of brick, and afforded them good |
position to fire from the upper story /
windows. The cOnfederates fired di-
rectly into the trenches, and often /
killing aud .wounding a number of
union soldiers. Gen. Mulligan saw i
that they must be dislOdged. He Sc
lected two companies OF his regiment /
who passed down throughsthe works
on the run, and Just as they emerged /
from the trench, Palmer Joined them.
They rushed into the building and /
drove the enemy from the lower door,
some Of them retreating toward the
river and others running up stairs.
They kept up a fire from the upper
story, and from the direction Of the i
river so that many were killed and
wounded. After getting possession Of
the lower floor the union troops were
no better of than before. The officers
tried to get their men to 90 up the
broad stairway to drive the enemy
from the upper story. They urged
and ordered aud threatened, but no
one offered 10 take the lead up the
stairway, as il seemed TO threaten any
one who ventured instant death. II
looked like a desperate attempt, but
Palmer ran forward and sprang on
the second stair. and turning to the
men said:
IF you will follow me, men. ! will
lead YOU. We must drive them OUT
The men cheered and came forward
aud they went with yell and a rush,
tO the landing, and rushed at the doors
On the second floor, which they found
locked. Palmer burst one door open
with the butt end Of his musket, and
stepped into the room. Five eOnfed-
crate soldiers were in the room, two
u whom raised their guns to shoot
him He yelled at them to surrender,
and they did so Immediately, seeing
the men behind him. Palmer took
al their guns, aud ordered the prison.
eTs 20 march. The soldiers with
Palmer made a move 10 kill them,
swOre and threatened, but Palmer sue
eeeded in getting them down stairs
safely, when the men on the lower
1oor, maddened by the numbers Of |
heir companions killed and wounded
rushed at them and shot and bay
lnetted the whole five. Palmer tried |
10 save them with all his might, |
pushed aside their bayOnets, and said
hey were prisoners and should not
be killed. But his COMPANIONS said,
See our men they have killed. aud
would not be restrained in their bloody
work.
Pollard, in his History OF the !, st
,ause" speaks very severely Of the
killing Of these prisoners. The only
lailiatiOn for Il was the fact that the
violated the rules OF civ
LIKED warfare by taking possession Of
he union hospital where there were ]
lick and wounded men, and opening I
! IRE upon the union troops. They
killed many because the union troops
we're compelled 20 be careful in re-
urning their fire not to shoot their !
,Wn men. When the union troops
OOk the hospital the cOnfederates
irOuched behind the beds where the )
lex union soldiers were lying aud
firing. About thirty OF the
men who made the charge were len
lead and wounded In and around the ,
hospital.
Taxing the five guns Palmer started
or the trenches. He was shot az sew ;
I times before reaching them, and J
he bullets Whistied close to him, and :
ne bullet struck under his foot just as :
le raised IL from the ground in step !
ing. He distributed the guns 30 Capt
3urnap's company, the First Illinois /
aVelPv who WERE very much In need !