The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-11-27
MISSOURI REBELS.
The Cost OF Loyalty In that State.

To THE EDITOR: notice in my article in
your paper of Oct. 8, that you make me say, in
| parenthess, that the Federals were called, in
Kansas, jayhawkers. This is mistake one of
! US made. The term jayhawkers was applied
by Missouri rebels to all Federal soldiers coming
| field, Mo-, were called, by the same people,
Lop-eared Dutch. We soon got SO that we did
not care for it. Nor do we nOw-the names
are still applied by the bushwhacking class.
With all our troubles there was much of the
ludicrous intermingled Iwell remember some
of the most ridiculous scares. / cannot relate
all, but will one or two. A day or two after
| the rebels had passed some % miles east of us,
going north on the Lone-Jack campaign, a
| cousin of mine, younger than myself, and
went to blacksmith shop, run by one My
ers, a stay at home rebel, at the little town of
Sherwood, to get our horses shOd. He had
heard the news. e., our boys were driving
everything before them-and refused to do our
| work, even though we should pay double price.
We were entirely unarmed "a very unusual
| thing, but. reckless as boys often were, we
went to the creek and took bath. Coming
| back through town, we came at full gallOp.
yelling at the top Of our voices, hurrahing for
Lincoln, the Union, the Union Army. etc.
There were about 20. or. perhaps, more men
(stay -at-h home rebels) in town. They ran in
every direction to hide, no doubt thinking we
| were the forcrunners of a powerful army.
Some of them ran out and asked what was the
matter; we replied that there was matter
| enough. We ran q great risk, as we after
wards learned, because there was lot of BUSH
! whackers in the vicinity, and the word was
taken to them that there was 10000 Federals
coming, aud thcy started for DiXies land in
short order, and went to Newtonia some 80
miles, before they found out the mistake.
They slipped back and commenced gathering
recruits from among the stay-at-homes, word
getting out that they were intending to con-
script oil who were in favor of the Union.
That was the signal for Union men to get
scared, and they mostly ran to the bushes to
hide. My cousin and l mounted and taking
our trusty rifles. rode to the camp of the Indian
Brigade, below Baxter's Springs, and reported
| what was going on. Col. John Richie was in
command, and started 100 Indians out with us,
and we seriously interfered with their obtain
ing the recruits expected, as we took most of
the stay-at-hOme chvalry prisoners, and sent
them to the guard house at Fort Scott, where
they had ample time to mediate on their trea-
sonable acts. Tho bushwhackers who had
come in from the South, took in the situation
and fed. We were not moleSted for some time.
The 1st aud Sd Indian regiments left soon
after, trying to head the rebels running from
LOne-Jack, but missed them.
The rebels were REINFORCED from the South,
and our army commenced concentrating in the
vicinity of Carthage, the I'd Indian being re-
moved to point on Center Creek some six
miles southwest of that point. After remaining
some days the troops were again removed; this
time to Sarcoxie, except the I'd Indian, which
stopped to head off the rebels under Cooper
from going any farther north. Cooper concen-
trated his main force at Newtonia, where Gems
Blunt and Totten doubled their forces on him
and drove him out of the country, following
him to South Blunt, where they met and de-
feated him at Fort Wayne and Cave Hill, and
of iria md
the day there. The combined forces made
raid on Van Buren,, Ark, destroying large
amount of Quartermaster and COmmissary
stores and several steamboats,. In the mean
time many things were transpiring in our i'm
mediate vicinity. The I'd Indian moved on or
about the 18th of September, 1862, to point
called Shirleys Ford, on Spring River, (where
Georgia City now ISL where they were attacked
on the Goth by part at least, of Stand Watie's
regiment of Cherokees, AleXander'S Texas reg
iment and Coffee's Missouri regiment some
1900 strong, all under the command of Stand
Waite Col. Richie had about 500 men able
for duty and some Southern loyaists, who had
come to his camp for protection, with a refugee
train to take care of. Corraling his train on the
opposite side of the river and placing small
guard with it, he took the principal part of the
force under his command and, forming his line
along the edge of the timber, waited anxously
for the enemy. As the rebels came across the
their muskets and for hours--oh how long to
us with the enemy between us and friends =
maintained their line, finally driving them
from the field where they left Major of the
Texas regiment among the killed. and many
wounded, with one stand of colors, to be added
to the laurels Of the loyal Indians. That night
Sept. 90 1862 was long remembered by the
Unionists in this country. Livingston's BUSH
whackers scattered out over the country, TAX
ing every Union man and boy prisoner, carry
ing them South or killing them. More than so
were taken within a few miles of here. Many
never saw home or friends again.
My brother, cousin, and myself were to-
gether, and finally got through to the Union
lines on foot after losing our horses. There
had been a small lot of soldiers Q2) of the I'd
Indian left at Baxter Springs with their
women. They came to our houses ON the
Goth, and, as none of them could speak Eng
lish, my mother was afraid to bring them
to us, because she knew there were rebel
Indians in the country. After we got
away / learned that they were all killed.
Whether true or not, l don't know, but was
informed long after that none Of them had
ever reported to the regiment. An old gentle
man named Hewelt, who lived about 10 miles
from here, on the edge of Newton County, was
taken out, and no one knows, except those
concerned, where his body lies.
Livingston, with his band, made a raid into
Kansas some IL miles from Fort Scott, and
captured the Rev. VIM. B. Southland (who had
fled from this country one of the men who had
voted for Lincoln in 1860 and Solomon Schousc,
of Newton County, and they, too lay in un-
known graves. if buried at all. The only crime
these men were guilty of, was loyalty to the
Union of our fathers No wonder the cry often
went up: How long! o. Lord will we have
to bear ths?-HUGH l.. THOMPSON, Co.'S c and
81, Sd Wis. Cav, Carl Junction, Mo.
The Charge at Vicksburg.
To THE EDITOR: In your issue of Oct. %,
In the graphic description of the charge at
Vicksburg May %, 1868, by Comrade c. ID.
Morris, he says: McClernand, away in the
rear, called loudly on Grant for help. We knew