The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-04-16
SOUTHWEST MISSOURI.
Lively Times with the Bnshwhackers In that
Troublesome Section,


| To THE EDITOR: In my article Of recent
date ! came down to Christmas 1862. few
| days afterwards train going North lost five or
| six wagons burned. For some reason the run
| ming gear of some of the wagons did not burn,
and o stay t-home rebel hauled them to his
house and concealed them from us. Another
| train was going South. with which my brother
| was coming to NeOsho, and by some means he
| found the wagons aforesaid. They had slight
engagement with the bushwhackcrs near where
| Blonde City now is, in which one Geo RAIDER,
reported to be a Lieutenant among the bush
whackers was shot in place which intertered
| seriously with his sitting down. small party
| of US were sent after the. wagons and while
there RAIDERS mother who lived about one
| fourth of mile distant, came among US. APP
| parently counting our number; and when some
| of us started TO her house, Capt. Spilman, OF
| the Sd Ind, for some reason to me unknown,
stopped us and started back to Neosho, rs
| though he expected to be attacked every in
slant. / learned afterwards that the wounded
| son was the only man there, and we would GER
tainly have got him if we had been allowed to
! go on.
few days later party of dispatch bearers,
under the command of Lieut. Blunt, started
| from Neosho, intending to cross Spring River
at Blythe's Ford (now called Ryan's Ferry,
| stsiking the military road between Baxter
| Springs and Shawnee Creek. on the prairie, and
| along all right. without any mishap, for about
| Is miles. Then they struck lanyard Hollow.
some three miles southwest OF where Joplin
now is. There WAS an ambush awaiting them.
do not remember that any damage was done,
more than they were driven back pretty we'll
scared. One hundred Indians, with ii scouts,
| including the author among the latter, all un-
der Capt. Spillman, mentioned above, then
| started with the same party, travorsed the
same route until after we passed lanyard
Hollow: then turned 10 the mouth of Turkey
Creek, where the party carrying dispatches
crossed tho river in safety and went on their
periious journey. The remainder of Us, includ
ing the Captain, started for tho little town of
Sherwood, Mo, which was in my own school
district. l well knew every foot of the country
Arriving within % mile, we could sec lights
burning at the hotel. Some of the boys who
were rot known went into house, and, play
ing of as rebels. learned that Livingston, with
80 of his men, were at the hotel aforesaid hay
ing dance. So we thought it good time to
take part. With the Captain and his inter
prefer tthe Indians could not speak English.
nor could any one of us talk Indanl tho order
was given to march for Neosho, and make no
| noise. Why this was done none of us could
understand. 1t has always seemed to me that
LIZ men out in the dark ought TO have been
able to handle Livingston and 80 men IN
frame house. where the lights made everything
bright as day; and many lives of Union men,
soldiers aud citizens, would have been saved by
capturing or killing that band. But it was not
to be; their time had not come. never went
with the Captain again, but left for Fort Scott,
Kan, about the lst of February. 1863, with
| train commanded 5y Capt. Conkey, of Co l,
Sd Wis. Cav, although Capt. E. T. Stevens, of
Co. c. was really the ranking officer. Capt.
Stevens was a very modest officer, liked by the
boys generally. while Capt. Coukey had great
confidence in his ability to completely ami
hiate all the busbwhackers ranging through
Southwest Missouri. either by killing or cap
turing. So Capt. Stevens allowed him TO take
command of the three companies composing the
escort for the train. viz: c, and q, Sd Wis.
Cav. We camped the first night on the east side
of the Diamond Grove. Before daylight Co. &
started out but saw no enemy in arms, meeting
the train at the Widow Scotts farm, on Center
Creek. about five miles southwest of Carthage.
Those in advance found n small party, who
fired and ran. In the pursuit some of their
horses were shot in the creek by men concealed
iii the bushes on the opposite bank. This ended
the pursuit for the evening.
That night we had jolly time-plenty of
fat hogs, chickens and honey. We helped our
selves without stint. Next day we went to
Carthage and there Capt. Conkey determined
on an extended campaign. He sent the train
OH under escort of Co. G, directed Capt.
Stevens to take the company wagons some six
or eight having been retained for the purpose,
and load them with supply of wheat, and to
have 1t ground at neighboring mill belonging
TO a prominent rebel. Having made these
preparations, Capt. Conkey took small escort
and made a flying visit to Bowers Mills OH
Spring River, near the Lawrence County line,
and made arrangements with the commanding
officer to get reimbursement equal TO the
number sent away with the train. They came
the next day. about 60 men, under Lieut.. Chas
Brown. The Captain moved our command
ant fxKya- and oil bn-N
There we camped for the night, having seen
no one in arms, unless at distance. but plenty
of signs, in the way of horse-tracks, all lead-
ing sou h, in the direction of Turkey Creek.
We had good reason to believe the bushwhack-
ers were concealed in the timber of that creek.
Starting out next morning the Captain divided
the command as follows: Lieut.. Brown. with
his command, was ordered to go cast, on the
prairie between Center and Turkey Creeks,
following the road through Pilot Grove and
crossing Center Crock at Y0kum's old mill,
now called Center Creek Mill, thence north to
Spring River. to where Ed. Hall now lives.
where We were to concentrate at night. Capt.
Stevens with his company and all the wagons,
was to go mp Oh the north side of Center Creek
to Minersville, now called Oronogo. and thence
to rendezvous as above described; while he
capt. COnkey) took his own company and pro-
ceeded up Spring River. This movement and
division of the forces were made with every
reason TO DeileVe tho danger. II there was any,
was on the right, where the row troops were,
and against the advice Of all. Everything
went well until Lieut.. Browns for scattered
and got to struggling. Some Is or 20 men were
in the advance at Pilot Grove, the remainder
strung along in the rear. when the bush
whackers, in full force, struck and routed them,
pursuing them nearly to our company. / well
remember how Charley Brown looked when he
came to us bare-headed. Some of his men
were taken, and two never returned. We have
good reason to think they were brutality muir
dere4. McWilbanks came into our camp about
midnight, barefooted. in his shirt and drawers
under promise 30 return if he failed to make
the exchange demanded. which he could not
do. He failed to go back also. He thought it
safer to remain and did so. We failed in the
pursuit that evening, and had to march till
late that night to meet Capt. Conkey, and a
mad Set We Were too.-HUGH l.. THOMPSON, Sd
Wis. Cav, Carl Junction No.
Those Yeariings Again.
~