Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-01-30
MURDER OF GEN. PARSONS.
From the St.Louis Republican. |

Very soon after the surrender OF Il
La, to the federal forces y
under Gen. Frank Heron, Maj .-Gen. II
Mosby Monroe Parsons, formerly OF b
Jefferson City, Mo; Col. Austin M. Ell
Standish, his brother-in-law and chief el
of staff, and Aaron II. Conrow, then tt
lately a member of the confederate u
whose residence was at Rich. 5
mond, Mo departed for Mexico or
some other place of exile They were n
ACCOMPANIED by Standish's orderly and Ii
body guard, named VIM. Wondering,
better known as "Dutch Bill" The
federal commander allowed the officers = =
and soldiers to keep such effects as : :
were conducive to their comfort and
convenience, so that Gen. Parsons and
company retained their wagons, teams
and effects and such stores as they had
used before the surrender, to which, il
Is said, the generous federal comman-
der added some contributions of his
own of luxuries and conveniences the
confederate officers had
LONG BEEN UNUSED TO.
Gen. Parsons immediate objective
point was Mexico, but there are rea-
sons to suppose he intended, then, ultl-
matGlV I'd StttiC III NOubh ~AAhNAA l
Those who accompanied him, not
knowing what would be the action of
the federal administration toward
them, were seeking for some asylum In
exile, where they could earn a living
and be, if not permitted to return to
Missouri, ultimately joined by their
families. They were all in the prime
of life, Parsons A years old and the
In the early days ofAugust they reach
ed the Rio Grande, having disposed OF
their surplus teams and wagonfor con-
siderable amount of money. They were |
at Monterey and remained few days, |
being treated politely by the Mexican
military authorities. The long jour-
new across Texas and the kindly dispo-
sltion being evinced by the victorious
authorities of the United States had
led these gentlemen to materially mod
ify their views about continuous exile.
This news they received by the papers
and.through Mexico land it had determin-
edGen. Parsons to take the shortest route
to Camargo and sail tor the United
States and home. To this end, he pro-
cured passports and was permitted to
depart from the military lines about
the 18th day of August, 1865. His
party was accompanied by
ANOTHER CENFEDERATE OFFICER,
from, think Tennessee, Col. Williams.
They were practically accompanied by
another party OF confederate exiles,
= one of them headed by Gen. John b.
! Clark. Sr., who although not of the
- =. same party were in reach. Travelling
= by themselves they were on the even
ing of the 10Th of August near the
% San Juan river and passed through the
TT little town of China. Williams horse
4 4 had fallen lame and he stopped on the
y road to find farrier, SO that he die
=, not come up with the party i'll time tC
;" camp with them that night. At
~ water tank or as near it as was con
=, ,s veuient they enc lmped on the edge o
20 the chapparal. Parsons was man o
~ peculiar habits in many respects, ant
,o always preferred encamping of b!
u = himself He, therefore, remained
away a good distance from where Gen
n Clark's party were bivouacked to be b.
,d himself.
ns la That night Gen. Clark's party wer
attacked by marauders, but not unit
y, as he testihes, he had heard some shar
j" firing in the direction of Gen. Parson:
~ camp. We know nothing of what oc
~ Cured at Parsons camp except whs
ot we gather from the sworn state
-. ments OF the witnesses su omitted b
at myself as counsel
e. FOR THE WIDOWS AND HEIRS,
~ before the Joint commission organizes
~ w. under the joint treaty of July 4, 1861
-. -. The first definite Information deriv
a. ~, ed of their fate was received throus
,e the good offices of the German cOnst
,.'. u at Camargo. This was very meage
,n' ' but gave a clew that enabled us
r make the following statement of facts
.n'. .no About the time of Gen. Parsons de
a91 parture the military secretary of Ger
r Cana.es, who answers in rank and of
s VI ciul duties to ours of inspector and az
In -, jutant-general, applied for a leave
,ho Io absence and departed. We judge fro
my my Clark's statement that Parsons was a
~, liz tackled at a late hour-past midnight
.n' ,.n that he may have made some resistan
.S .So was evident from the firing which 500
u; .ie ceased. Don Platon Sanchez, at Il
20. head of body of Mexican soldier
az claimed to be acting under orders fro
,,nt Gen. Canales, summoned him and
l no' party to surrender, saying he had o
Im IN. ders to arrest them and take them b
~ na' fore the Mexican commander. Ge
"a Parsons recognized Sanchez Dy his III
anu ana form. He also recognized those W
ase Se accompanied Sanchez by their III
-. u1 ~ forms, among them captain nam
81. on Nicholas Alanez, and apprehendil
Ie,e 'nat only delay of few days from t
a' capricious arrest, surrendered.
o.. have reason to believe, from the tes
saif is mony, that the very plausible prete
eels - .In 49, I;.'o, a,,a tLot tbora ,,,
do y, ..le .ne 80. ~" ''o' ''0' ''''-' :"
uch III '"o p"'''
by SPIES
he'd in the interest of Maximilian. I
prisoners were Immediately bound d
the taken off some considerable dista
the into the chapparal and then most b.
very tally murdered. Col. Don Pla
ume Sanchez took possession of the effe
DING of the prisoners and in the presence
rom their stripped and mutilated bodies
'mer booty was divided according to
up military rank of the robbers. Sane
nlng appropriated Parsons gold watch {
most of the money of the party, WI
level was in gold. Nicholas Alanez, c
that tain, and Jesus Tigerino, private {
Early dier, of the Liberal army of the rep
who lie of Mexico, testified to the manne
hav- the division of spoils. Col. Stand
ager who was a civil-engineer and had h
mon ed for employment in his profess
elves while in exile, had a case of inst
very ments with him. These were giver
one of the murderers and by him OF
reat. ed shortly after TO an American ci
rt a engineer at Camago for sale. Anot
J ear one of the murderers appeared in Cf
four dressed IN the uniform of a majors
he eral of the confederacy, of which
'ould had despoiled the body of Gen.
III to sons. Their bodies were hidden in
Up to chapparal, and Col. Don Platon 5
q his chez, after having been absent fl
'llege duty with his commander for ele
ntral days, returned to duty
ours.
n WEARING GEN. PARSONS wATC
and carrying his money in his pu
Efforts were made byGen. Clark, by
Williams, whose life had been save,
the lameness of his horse, and by o
anti Americans and ex-officers of the
amor. federacy, to ascertain their fate.
Ibmit was feared for some time that
they were incarcerated in some remote ,