Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-09-18
THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON.
BY COL. RICHARD II. MUSSER.

BY COL. RICHARD II. MUSSER.
SOn the 18th day of September we
encamped in the environs of Lexing-
ton. The encampments fairly surround
! ed the place, and encompassed the
town. The enemy still held the river
north of the town.
| did not continue to mess with the
surgeon-general, because the third
division, under Col. Congreve jackson,
with which | served, had a delightful
camp in a meadow in front of the
mansion of General William Shields,
where, after placing sentinels over his
premises, so that the family we're not
unnecessarily annoyed or disturbed,
we were soon domesticated at his hos
pitable table.
Our lines were tightly drawn around
the landward side of the city. General
Price made his headquarters in the
fair grounds, and on the day we felt
the enemy, who appeared to be vigilant
and active. We could not then press
him, for Price was waiting for percus-
sion caps, and felt the necessity OF
economizing in that necessary ammu-
milton, for fear of being pressed into
! a general battle. A moderate supply
having reached us from Arkansas by
special courier, we pressed onward on
the l4th. The first skirmishing was
done by our pickets, and was attended
by some casualties. The next day
found us early at work, and we had a
very sharp skirmish in acorntield where
we were suddenly fired on by ulligan's
| light infantry, deplOyed as skirmlshers,
and had severe fight with their main
| body. They held their ground that
day like good soldiers, and some OF our
wounded fell into their hands.
The morning following l learned that
Major George X. Dills, whom L had
known as boy in Cynthiana, Ken
lucky, had been killed i'll charge
| in the corn-tield, and at the sug-
gestion of his brother | asked General
Price for flag of truce to 60 in after
his body to insure decent burial for the
satisfaction Of his relatives. was
made the bearer of the flag, with u
suitable unarmed escort. On the
verge of the enemy's lines, at an out
post they held in a school-house, l was
met by the commander of some federal
troops. He recognized me, and with
some ado held in control his troops,
who were on the point of firing Oh us
without orders. 1t was Major Becker,
of the home guards, and he reminded
me of our former acquaintance, when
1 had travelled with him in the stage
from Brunswick to CarrOlltOn, and he
| was the driver. After stating my bus
mess the major detained us in house
convenient till he could refer my mis-
sion to his immediate commander.
also sent my compliments to Col. Pea
body. 1t q short time | was assured
Dills was alive, though severely
wounded, and Quartered with some
southern people, where he had all prop
er attentions from their surgeons, and
and was we'll nursed. was permitted
to see him, and taken under due sur
veillance to the house of Mr.. Williams,
where [ found him heavier by all ounce
ball aud twelve buck-shot in his bow
els; but more in danger of dying of
love for his tair nurse than from his
wounds. Dills " as then fresh wild
over 'for the second time, and prob
ably the nursing acted as counter
irritant, and helped him back to life,
and led to his recovery from fearful
wounds. BY the time had made my
visit and returned to where my escort
were quartered, severe rain had set
in, and / found Colonel Peabody
waiting tor me. He was armed cap-a
pie, with bottle of whisky. Seeing
that l was in a not very presentable
condition, having had no baggage to
speak of for three months, he loaned
me pair of panLalOons and clean
shirt, without committing treason to
the federal government, though he gave
| aid aud comfort to an enemy. l after
ward, when Peabody was our prisoner,
and badly wounded, returned his loan
of the whisky and forwarded letters to
his friends in Boston, without any
fragrant violation of duty
| General Harris's division, under his
personal command, having crossed the
Missouri at Cambridge Oh the llth, had
come up with us by easy marches across
the counties of Saline and Lafayette.
We were in full strength, and General
Price determined to press the enemy.
| We were under arms the following
morning on all sides. As we advanced
with skirmishers deployed, the enemy
fe,l back practically into his entrench
ments on the campus of the Masonic
College, still preserving, however, his
|
were some sharp skirmishes Oh the part
of the enemy OIL that day, and one or
two sallies from the works. We held
our ground, however, and utilized some
of the neighboring houses, from which
our sharp-shOOters sent i'll deadly fire
over his parapets. In the meantime
Gen. Harris, with a strong detachment
under Coils. Rives and Martin Green
and Major Winston, moved down to
the steamboat landing and established
himself there. Bledsoe placed his
battery in q favorable position, and
Guibor, with four pieces in battery,
assailed him from our right, or the
landward side of the campus. Multi
gan, seeing what use we were likely
to make of two buildings in front of
his earth-works, and in easy gunshot,
fired red-hOt shot into them and set
them on fire. One of them belonged
to Mr.. Thomas B.Wallace,a "a Union man,
and the other to Mrs. Butler, widow
They were entirely consumed.
On the 10th Harris, in force, took
possession of the river bank and cut
off the beleaguered garrison from
access to water for their cavalry
horses, as well as for other purposes.
The only supply of water left them was
half filled cistern inside. They very
soon showed signs of distress for water,
for our pickets detected some camp
women coming out from the earth
works to some springs in our front, re-
lying on the chlvalry of the Missourian
not to fire on petticoat. These springs
were in the bottom of a ravine, about
halfway between their parapet and our
line. Bledsoe's battery, commanded by
Emmet Mcdonald, for Bledsoe had
been wounded at Drywood. with hot
shot, and Guibor, with two pieces
commanded by Churchill Clark, a
young cadet from West Point, who had
joined us, made several breaches in
the college building, and rendered it
untenable. There was one other build
ing i'll near proximity TO it, small
house formerly used for primary
school, from which was hung out the
yellow flag of a hospital. The fire of
the artillery and the sharp p-shooters had
done much damage, especially in kill
ing their cavalry horses The weather
had become intensely warm, and the
decay OF SO many dead horses, which
they could not bury or otherwise dis
pose of, OccasiOned great stencil, so
that, as they could not afford to kill
them themselves, they were all turned
lOosed on the town and fell into our
hands.