The National tribune., 1885-12-17
The War In Missouri.

To THE EDITOR: Perhaps it might be inter-
esting to the readers of THE TRIBUNE to hear
something about the early days OF the rebellion
in Northwestern Missouri, and something of
what loyal Missourans had to endure for love
of the Union and the Stars and Stripes. Soon
after the fall of Fort Sumter many of the prom
inent rebels in this part of the State flung to
the breeze the Stars and Bars of the COnfederacy,
and were loud in their denuncations of Lin
coin, the Abolitionist, and his hirelings. They
boasted of the superiority of Southern men
over the Northern mudsills, and that one South
ern man could whip half a dozen Yankees.
Troops for the Confederacy were organized and
drilled, and open boasts were made of what
would be done when the independence of the
Confederacy should be acknowledged which,
by the way was foregone conclusion. All who
by word or deed favored the cause of the Union
were to be driven from their homes, and their
property was to be cOntiscated and divided
among the faithful.
But a change came over the spirit of their
dreams. when in the month of July the sacred
soil /" of the South in this part of Missouri was
invaded by the Yankees, who came in the form
of the I'd Iowa under command of Col Curtis
"Ah, then and there was hurrying to and fro! "
The Stars and Bars were hauled down. and
those who had been so doughty skedaddled,
hunted their holes, or fled southwark to join
the hosts of the rebellion under Pap Price or
some other equally brave leader.
But this is not exactly what we started out
to talk about; it is of the early experience OF
"us boys" in defense of the Union that we
would speak. We hadn't the magnificent out
fit of 81 Klegg, of the 200th Ind, to start out
with When we found that Col Peabody was
organizing the 18th Mo. at ST. Joseph we bade
our mothers, sisters and sweethearts hasty
adieu and hurried to enroll our names on the
list of our countrys defenders. We found on
arriving at the rendezvous that no provision
had been made for us in the line of uniforms,
so the clothing we wore from home, supple
mented by red or blue flannel shirts obtained
from the stores of the festive Hebrew that
aboundcd in the city, was all that we had from
date of enlistment until the siege OF Lexington,
Mo- under Col. MIllgan.
When in camp we had plenty of drilling and
guard duty to do, which, being new to us, we
thought was pretty hard and, then, marching
and scouting through the country in quest OF
rebels was simply terrible. The march through
Holt, Nodaway and Andrew Counties in Au-
| gust 1861, the comrades will remember, and
| from Leyin gton to Warrensburg and the retreat
! back to Lexington with Pap Prices army after
! US, and the nine days siege of our 2 2,750 by an
| armv of 10000 to 25.000 rebels, and the almost
| perishing with thirst within the Notifications
| and the final surrender and parole and going
! home on foot we are sure no one can forget.
! Of all who were there with US we have never
! heard of one who did not again enlist and serve
| through the war. Comrades of Col. Peabody
regiment, we would like to hear from you
either through THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE or by
letter.-T. J. MCBEATH, Co. Z, (Peabodys) 13tl
| Mo- Cameron, Mo.