The Dickinson press., 1888-01-28
A BORDER RAID,
Fighting in Missouri Twenty.
five Years Ago.
DEFENSE OF SPRINGFIELD.
Both Heroes and Desperadoes
Unknown and Unsung.
DEFENSE OF SPRINGFIELD.

Alarmaluke's Men In Miss ,uri IN January,
1sG3-iIow They Were Driven Back by
Gen. Egbert Is. Brown and His "Oui-
nine Brigade" at Springfield Col.
George L. Warning ct Batcsville, Ark.
Wild Scenes of Southwestern Border
Warfare.
The full history of the terrible border
fights in Missouri during the civil war has
never been written; never will be. In those
fi-hts heroes whose names are unSung held
Themselves ready at any moment to take Il
life OF lose their own. Any day the inhabi-
tants of n village knew not what the dark
hess OF that night you'd bring. One day
found them at peace. with only the world's S
oriinaly Joys and sorrows in their thoughts;
the next day might find their village IL smok-
ing ruin. their husbands and fathers dead or
prisoners the women and babes homeless,
hungry wanderers. fleeing for their lives
Many of the mos: desperate and bloody
deeds Of the civil war We're done in the bol'-
der fight in Missouri. That they are not
known to history is because those who
wrought ,i.em We're literally men of deeds i'll
stead oi words. They wcrc on both sides.
men who handled the bowie knife and the
revolver better than the pen. History knows
them Very little, and only tradition keeps
record Of them and their work.
From the beginning of the war there was
desperate struggle between the Union and
Confederate governments which should hold
the state of Missouri
Ii was saved To the Union by the heroism
of one man, Nathaniel Lyon. Early i'll lS6l
he saw what was coming. Governor Clai-
borne Jackson, of Missouri, was u secession
syl.patli@er and desired to prevent tie re-
cruisins of United States soldiers in the state.
Lyon. appointed brisadier general of United
States volunteers i'll May, had charge of the
Union forces in Missouri. In June, lS6l,
there was Il final conference between Gen.
Lyon ON the one side and Governor jackson
and Cic:. Sterling Price cn the other. ut the
Planters hotel St Louis
Jackson insisted that Missouri should
remain neutral until convention decided
whether She should be in CT out of the Union
The conference lasted five hours, and this
Was Jackson's ultimatum.
Nathaniel Lyon was deliberate man. He
answered Governor jackson slowly Snd em
phatical!y, in these notable words
''RatEer than concedc to the state of Mis-
souri, tie right to demand that my govern
mcnt shall not enlist troops within hcl
limits, or bring troops into tho state when
ever it plcases, or move its troops at its OWL
will into or out of OF through the state
rather than concede to the state of Missouri
for one single instant the right to dictate tc
my government in any matter, however un
important, would see every man, woman
and child in the state dead and buried
This means war. In an hour one of my
officers will call for you and conduct yor
out of my lines"
And war it was, from that on. Aug. 10
ls6l, the battle of Wilson'S Greek, No, wa
fought by Gen. Lyon, with q small force
against the Confederate Gems Price and Nc
| cullorh. with four times as many troops.
| Lyon was killed, and his little army re
treated, hut the battle of Wilson's Crcel
saved Missouri to the Union. 1t checked th'
advance at Sterling Price and reused up th'
Union men OF Missouri to form new gov
crnment and keep the state loyal. Yowart
the close of lsGl Fremont drove out Price,
army. From that time the Confederate oc
cunation of Missouri was limited chiefly to
series Of daring raids, made first by one gen
eral, thea by another.