The National tribune., 1888-08-23
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
THE cENTRALIA MASSACRE.

MutIIafloa Of Dead Soldiers By GuerriIlas.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE; I hsve seen
from time 10 time published accounts OF the
Centralia massacre, than took place at Centraila,
No. Oct. =, 1864. the last one by Comrade
Russell, of Co. X, LIST Iowa Cav. None OF them,
10 my mind, give good, or az least iuil &C
count Of that affair. Permit me to briefly state
what ! know Of it.
The lst Iowa Cav. belonged to the Seventh
Corps, Army Of Arkansas. In May, 1864 the
veterans 10 the number Of 600 went home Oh
veteran fuIlouEh. ON our way back, IN June,
when we got as far as Cairo, we were ordered
70 ST. Louis, and soon after were sent cut into
northern Missouri to fight bushwhackeTs,
finally bringing up and establishing post at
Mexico. 30, about j miles east of Centrall2.
i was in co. Of that regiment. On Sept. =
detail from That command, with myself among
che number, started oUt for long scout after
the rebels. The next day about noon We got
ln5o G5ChcpCTt on the Missouri River, where up
70 this UMe there had been no troops. We
found there a detachment Of the Sd no. State
Militia. ia the United States service for the de-
sense o. the State, who had been ordered from
Sturgeon 10 A9cneFoTt 10 establish a post there.
The men were there, but the train had very
c3reiessiy been left behind 10 come mp al lts
leisure gIth q small snd ] think not we'll
managed escort. The train did not get In that
Cay. That night was on picket on the road
Oh which that train was 10 come. in the night
IS str8gE.er came ia from the train at my post
and reported that the bushwhackers had capt
Gred the train and killed nearly every one with
It, One or two Others came in with ike
report before morning. Ia the morning We
sent q command out some I've miles or so,
and found IL too true. The train had been
m0Tlug along IN S lane, going south, with tim
Der beyond the field TO the west, and cross
road: or, at least road and a lane leading from
the timber spoken of to the one where the train
was. The rebels charged IN from the woods
through the cross lane, striking the one on
which the train wss just ahead Of the train.
They charged right down the road along the
train, aud put everything into confusion and
EOuJ Some Of the men were killed in the road,
and some ran into an adjoining field and tried
70 hide In the shocks Of corn there standing.
They were pursued and killed wherever they
could be caught. 0He man said he hid IL
shock OF corn, and that the rebels stuck 2 saber
through u in every direction, thinking he was
there and but barely missed him several times.
However, thinking he was not there, they
left him, and he escaped. Eleven dead bodies
were brought n from there and buried st Roche
port. Nearly every one, il not every one, was
shot through the head from ear to ear, showing
they had stood them Up, and putting pistols to
their heads, shot them down. They had jump
ed their horses over and on TO a good many Of
them, so that tie bodies were mutiated b the
horses feet. The day we were thus burying
these dead, the same bushwhackers made an
attack Oh small garrison Of Missouri State
Militia holding q post at Fayette, Mo-, and
were driven Of, with 3 loss OF two or three dead
left en- the field.
The next day we, for some reason unknown
10 ne, because we knew nothing Of this fight,
went from Rocheport 10 Fsyette, and found out
what had been going on there. We staid there
TWO nights and one day, during which time We
sent CIT parties 10 lnd ont if we could where
400 o.
successful, and then on the 9th we moved
70 Columbia, No., where the State Uni
Tersiiy e located, and where is also the
residence Of James S. Rollins, a gentleman Of
very considerable note and & Union man.
That night again was on picket, this time on
The road leading north 10 Centraiia. In the
night, ] being Oh at the time, a carriage ap-
preached tue picbct-post and I halted it. It
proved on investigation TO be the carriage OF
SAID Rollins and Eir. Waugh, the Sheriff Of that
County. They brought Us word that there had
been 8 terrible massacre at Centralia that day
They had themselves been III tie hands OF the
rebels for some time, having been OF the road
near CeniTslia going there 10 take the cars.
4 thlnk they said the rebels did not know
them, OF they were sure Waugh would have
been killed and may he Rollins also. Early
in the morning we moved ont on that road till
we got near % the edge Of the timber country.
5 few miles south Of Centraiia, when VIC turned
e. the cast and soon drove the busbwhackers
oat Of the camp or bivOuac where they mad
spent the night. We there found a large
family carriage, with some sheets and pillows.
aid j think feather bed in it,, on which
there was some blood showing they had some
wounded man With them. We aIwsys under
STOOD that when they first attacked the train
a. Ceniralia there was a shot or two fired at
tacn from the train, which ! suppose was
true, and that accounts for the wounded man.
Right about there we found z woman on horse
back, whom VIC understood 10 be y friend OF
enc ~ the leaders Of the bUshwhackers. though
moi relative, and who kept near him: bat it
vas best for her net 10 be with hiia when we
were around. Tor she might be in danger Of
being shot 50 sle was now staying back
About this tinewe were accidentally Joined by
Co King. Of q Missouri cavalry regiment, with
detachment d men and l2-poUnd brass mount
20 hgwitEer We then followed RAPIDLY after
tie rebels, and soon overlook them They re-
treated before us some distance, and then
formed lIne and We thought We were going
20 get lght ont Of them aud chance 10 kin
some o. them. The trouble "as always In get
tiEg thCm % GKht as when we found them.
Ileir llne was more than quarter Of q nile
long. We got into Tine, and just as we began
oar advance uu them Col. King rcd that little
hOUItzcr, sending one she'll at them This was
in the woods, and We knew nothing Of an in
teDtiol 10 use tie cannon Til we heard II
Wei, when that was done the rebels broke.
sud they never Eaade another stand. We then
followed Them a. q dead run all day and until
quite dark. a good deal Of the time our ad-
vance was IN sight Of their rear but thew hid
good horses. ard none Of them even fell out or
ever stopped 10 give as a shot. We bivouacked
thai night 10 the rain. and moved forward the
next morning 50 daylight and found their b v
ouac within mile Of ours. We again got at
times ID sight Of their resF, but could do moth
iug more TIL IN the afternoon when they
simply scattered IN every direction, aud We
LOST them. We had By this time come 10 some
place 70 the southwest Of Columbia whereas
when we started them NC were little east or
north q Columbia. During that afternoon one
OF 0gr boys went 70 house on a hill not more
than - yards from the road 10 get something
% eat and found two Of the rebels there. who
drew their guns and tried to take him in: bat
be lodged 0ut Or the door and around the car
ner and van toward the road, hallooing to turn
the column up that way, as there they were.
and we made break Tor that house. The
rebels ran out aud tried 10 make for q coru6eld.
but one Of them was killed by some of our men
and the ether wounded. We followed on. but
soon lost al trail or trace, as before stated
Now as to the Ceutralia massacre itself
Capt Z. Foster Of my company, was not with
us Oa this scout, and he alierward told me lie
was wlth the party that went up % bury the
dead, and think be was Ia command Of it. ]
have sf.f.rr NJ