The National tribune., 1884-03-06

and inhuman act Of all. The wounded-lylng
on the prairie, weltering in gore and unable 10
lift hand to plead for mercy--were shot to
death. The dying and the dead even were
not spared parting shot to make death
doubly sure, and after death robbery, pillaging,
aud mutilation were INDUCED in. Four OF the
prisoners taken were delivered over TO a she
devil lQuantrells mistress, who, after taunt-
ing them awhile. placed pistol to their heads
and send them to eternity with curses on her
lips.
THE CHASE.
The chase was kept up for distance of four
miles or over. and every now and then some
poor fellow would be captured and then MUIR
dered in cold blood In many cases the pockets
! of the dead were riiicd and the bodies of the
dead stripped of their clothing Foremost IN
j the retreat was the 81 Wisconsin band, in their
/ band wagon followed by about twenty guerril-
I las, whom they were fast leaving behind, when
I to their horror one of the axles broke and left
them at the mercy of their foe, who rushed
/ upon them with defiant yells, demanding their
surrender. Being unarned at the time, with
I bat one exception. they surrendered. After
their surrender they were placed in line and
shot down like dogs. Their bodies, after being
robbed, were thrown under and around the
wagon and the wagon burned over their heads.
Two of them started to run when shot at, but
! they only got about forty yards away before
! they fell riddIed with bullets. Then the torch
was applied to their clothing and they, like the
rest of the band, were burned almost beyond
recognition. Even fourteen year-old Johnny,
( the little drummer boy, was not spared. He,
too, was riddled with their bullets and then
burned 10 crisp.
Major Curtis, of General Blunt's staff, had
/ his horse shot from under him, was captured,
and afberward shot down in cold blood. The
total number killed in Blunt's command was
/ ninety-eight, leaving only nineteen survi-
vors out of III, three of whom were wounded
and left on the field for dead. These three
/ were Frank Arnold and Jack Splain, of COM
pany ], Sd Wisconsin, and boy of sixteen,
| whose horse was shot from under him and
whose leg was broken by falling from it.
He was shot by his pursuer when down,
and feigned death until after the rebel horde
! had gone. when he with the other two We're
brought into camp and cared for. do not
4 now remember which command he belonged
! 10, bat think it was the 18th Kansas Arnold
/ and Splain were living close to one another; the
1 former was wounded four times and the latter
three times. Quantrell went up to them, seeing
life in them yet, and gave Arnold three more
shots and Splain TWO more shots, placing the pis-
tOi within a few inches of their heads, making
seven shots that Arnold received -four in the
body and three in the head, and FIVE shots in
the case of Splain two of which were In the
head. He ordered them to tell the Almighty
/ that the last man they on this green earth
was "0ld Quantrellp These men afterwards
recovered and were fit for duty before their
time Of service expired
Frank Arnold is living to this day, or was
short time ago. at Lamar, No. I do not know
whether Spain is living or not.
| Comrades if any OF you think I cave over
drawn the picture Of that bloody fight go ask
those who were there and saw it in all its dread
reality on that fatal day.
GENERAL BLUST's ESCAPE.
General Blunt had horse shot from under
him In the first of the fight, but mounted his
other horse and got away. Major Henning, of
the Sd Wisconsin cavalry. along with Captain
Iough,-Generai Bluntschief of sconts,-tried
TO rally the men and effect retreat in the di-
reetion Of the camp, but il was too late--the
golden opportunity had slipped from their
grasp. There was too much confusion and dis
order by that time TO secure obedience to any
order. Had they but succeeded however.
many noble fellow would have been saved
Captain Tough fought like tiger, and held
over dozen of the cnt-throats at bay until his
last shot was fired, when he wheeled his horse
In the direction Of camp, got safely in, and
asked for re-enforeements but AS cur horses
had been nearly ali cut loose we could render
them no assistance whatever. He staid but a
moment, and reioined his commander a few
minutes after Major Henning fought his way
through the rebel horde and made his way to
camp. and after few minutes stay he also
went back 10 his commander. taking three or
four Of the boys along with him. If my memory
serves me right, after the massacre of General
Blunt's body-guard, the guerrilla chief marched
back 10 within 300 yards of the camp, and sent
in three men with flag Of truce [amcng them
the noted guerrilla and desperate, Jesse James,.
John kadtke of my company, Al Weber of
company G. and the writer saddIed up their
horses 10 20 out and meet them, but as the
writer was yauiting into his saddle, the officer
IN command of nay company made me turn
back, remarking that was too feeble to 90 So
the other two went without me, and in a
few minutes brought back the intelligence
that Qnantrell demanded the immediate sur
render OF the place, promising Glemency and
fair treatment If no resistance was offered, but
threatening, on the other hand, if resistance
was offered, that total humiliation should be
our fate as he would unfurl his black flag to
the breeze.
Captain James Pond. sthe hero Of Baxter
Springs, as he was afterwards called by the
press, advised the surrender of the camp tel
ling us il was useless TO fight such odds in num-
bers lover five TO one( The men, however.
thought otherwise and told him in anything but
mild language that if he wanted TO surrender he
could do 50 and be hanged. For their part they
did not propose TO do anything Of the kind, bnt
we're determined to stay there and fight it out
and word was sent 70 QnantreIl to come ON as
soon as he got ready.
After few minutes consultation however
he concluded it would be safer to 90 farther
South than ii would be 10 attack that little
camp again, for well he knew that this little
band of eighty men would neither expect nor
| giyeany quarter if ne should again attack IT,
The next day was consumed in burying the
dead, consisting ofone hundred and two Federals
and either eleven or twelve guerrillas Major
Curtis body, along with one or two other off,
GERS, was taken TO Fort Scott for burial: ons
other was few days afterwards taken up and
! reinterned az his home. have but once since
/ visited the scene of that terrible buteherv
That was in November, 1864. BY that time the
wolves had made sad havoc with the graves o.
our fallen dead Their bones were scattered
about and bleaching in the sun, with no one
there 10 gather them again.
j. j. JOKES,
Private. Co. ID, Sd Wis. Cavalry.
COUNCIL GROVE, KAN.
Assistant Surgeon Wm. III. Warner, of tn.
! Sd Wisconsin cavalry in an address delivered
on the scene OF the massacre al the soldiers Re
e union held on the 9Th of October, 1853. in
commenloration of the massacre, the length O
/ which alone prevents US from printing in full
Z ! gives the following additional particulars:
Gen. Biunts command consisted Of his staff off
GERS, Major Henning Captain Farr and Major Curtis
The two former belonging TO the Sd Wisconsin cav
airy-tle latter was his adjutant- gcnera-his head
quarters clerks band, twelve fourteen six-mul,
> teams, ambulance and wagons, and one coInpan,
OF the Sd Wisconsin and one company of the I4tl
l. Kansas cavalry. All the headquarters books uni