Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-03-08
ALL OF WHICH I SAW, PART OF
WHIOH I WAS"

EDITOR REPUBLICAN:-Ana article in
the Republican of the 23d giving an
account OF the death of Capt. Samuel
ChUi chill Clark at Elk Horn or Pea
Ridge as the battle Was named III
southern and northern reports respect
lively, is SO incorrect that l beg space
for This:
Giark's battery was engaged all the
first day, being the left OF the line Of
some p pieces which moved ''by hand
to the front" across the field near the
iio-pitul and with the infantry drove
the enemy from his position in the
| woods.
Next morning when the army ad-
va,lced, Clark was left in reserve.
Chatting under the restraint, while the
battle ragged SO hear, he rode forward
near the lines, and | was told begged
Gen. Price to send him into the action.
Toward noon, Us l relnember, we ad-
vamccI at rapid trot, coming into bat.
tcry under Il heavy tire ut position
which had just been vacated by two
ether batteries after holding it success
Sivc!v Until out of ammunition. Clark
iia' orders to fire one or two rounds
and fall back with the skirinishers; the
|
| The writer was sergeant, chief of
piece No. l., a IL FOUNDER howirzer,
| Which was posted in the big road, Nos.
:, 3 and being Oh the left, concealed
from our view by trees and bushes.
They fired a few rounds and were with
| drawn according to orders. NV gum
ler being absent, took his place, and
was too busy to observe what occurred
except in front, where the effect Of cur
fire was very apparent on the compact
lines of the eneiLy, through occasional
openings iii the smoke cloud. The
roar OF guns, the incessant roll of
| intisketry, the wiizz and bursting of
shells, made it impossible to hear The
human voice few feet of. The piece
was SO hot as to burn the hand through.
a heavy glove and thumb stall. Thel
Jason Jalnes (ND. cannoneer) turned
his b1ackened face t"wards Inc from
he muzzle of the gun as he rammed
the Charge home, raised his braWmy
bare arm and pointed to the rear.
Turning, saw we were almost alone,
the other pieces moving rapidly up the
roa'i and Capt. Clark gallopimg toward
us Oh his fiery black horse. Passing
around the piece, he pointed with his
sabre to the trail and shouted some Or
der. The cailloncers, drilled like
veterans, Instantly limbered up (the
lin er stood with horses heads to the
rear, read y to fire letiring, with pro-
longe attachedJ. | had just mounted
my horse, was close alongside the near
wheeler, the carriage had moved per-
haps twice its length; our captain was
on the right, close to the of leader; L
was looking at him tO see which way
he would take us,when some large pro-
Jectile struck the back of his head. Ills
little cadet cap was knocked high in
the air, he swayed backward, then fell
forward To the ground, lils feet toward
our lines. His horse ran away.
Henry 5. johnson, our second Iicuten-
ami, riding black horse. it may have
been Clarks, rode back TO where the
b 'dy lay, and with the assistance oil
Lieut.. Sam Harrington of Wade's bat
tery and one OF our cannoneers placed
It upright i'll front of him. Tie hon 50
plunged frantical Y. johnson and the
body, both drenched in blood, were
thrown to the ground and the enemy's
rapid approach drove US from the field.
The top OF the captains head was
shot OF, none OF the face below tile
forehead, not even the eyes or ears
We're nlarrcd or disfigured. After the
letreat Il flag was sent into the federal
lines, and the body, easily identified by
the grey CADET coat, brought to Van
Bnren, not Little Rock, by Can't.
wright Schaulnburg, and buried with
military houors.
a Earu. friend of Churchill Clark.
our affection was increased by the fact
that our fathers were ROOM mates and |
cronles at West Point, class 1880. The
late Col. Merriweather Lewis Clark.
anu the late Capt. George Wilson, were
respectively sergeant OF the color guard |
and color sergeant In the battalion of
cadets. s. Churchill Clark was in the
Glass of 1861, and as he could not enter
tie academy under l6, must have been
20 or 2l years old, When he died, in
stead OF II, as your correspondent
states. Thorough Y drilled and expert
IL. gunnery, he frequently sighted
piece III action or at target practice;
was skIIifu with sword aud sabre, u
n'ld and graceful horseinaii, fond OF
t'a-hihg movements, aud was in his
most coligelial element In the field,
Ills sterling, lovable qualities of mind.
ieart and person are too well known to
the Old Missouri volunteers to need
lheut'on here. JOSEPH A. WILSON.
,Lexington, No.. Jan. zs, 1884.
N"te-Since publishing the above, l :
AaVe inform .tion, kindly furnished by
zen. Wesley Merritt, superintendent Of ,
he Military Academy, that Clark was ,
appointed cadet in '59, hence, had he ,
'cnaincd. would have graduated in