Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1889-09-19
A PALMYRA MARTYR.
The Farewell Letter Of Captain
Sidener, Who Was Shot by
Mcneil.


letter written by Capt. Thos. A.
Sidener, who, with a number of
other prisoners, was shot down
like dogs by Butcher Mcneil at
Palmyra, the circumstances of
which damnable deed will not be
forgotten for many years to come
by the people of this State. The
letter never reached its destina-
tion and was discovered q few days
ago where it had been placed by
some of the Federals to whom 1t
was handed for de)iverance. Tom
Sidener's fate was peculiarly sad,
from the tact that he was to have
been married to a most beautiful
and lovely young lady about the
time he was murdered by the viii
lian Mcneil, and the poor fellow
was buried in his wedding suit.
The letter is as follows:
MILITARY PRISON, Oct. IL, '62.-
DEAR BROTHERS, SISTERS AND
FRIENDS l seat myself for the
last time to write you a few lines.
l am in good health, but alas to-
morrow is the day set apart for me
TO be carried to another world. Oh,
/ hope I will be received in heaven
where justice is done. [ have not
had trial, and they won't give me
any chance for my life. Oh, /
hope that God will forgive these
unmerclful creatures that will COM
NIT the objectionable act. To take
innocent men and shoot them for
crimes that they never have done.
We are to be shot for one man that
J. G. Porter took away from here,
a man that never saw in my life.
Oh, is this justice? God in heaven
knows that this is not just. Oh,
can it be helped2 No mortal hand
can do anything for US. Brothers
and sisters, try to be good in the
future, try to lead a pious and re-
liglous life. Oh, do not delay long;
you know not when you may be
called away, like myself. Oh, that
1 could have the few years to live
again, I would lead a different life.
But alas the moment is drawing
near for me to leave you all, to
never meet again, only in heaven,
where all religious people meet,
never to part again. Ellen, oh
that I could get to see you once
more, but as it Is impossible for US
to meet again on earth, I hope we
will meet In heaven. Sister, take
care of yourself and little boy, and
kiss him for me, and tell friends
good-by for your brother, who will
be no more on this earth in a few
hours. Oh, my mind is SO frustra.
ted that I cannot write, can't col
lect hardly 3 sentence, or spell a
word correctly. But read it the
best you can, and think it is from
your brother. Ellen, I want you
to have this valise I have with me,
and keep it in remembrance of me.
Frank, Lena, George, good-by,
good-by forever on this earth. ia
cob is with me. / will tell him
good-by myself. Take good care
of yourselves, and try and get
along the best you can through this
hard troublesome world. Tell Un-
Gle Thornton's family good-by, and
all inquirlng friends. I have some
little money with me, divide it to
suit yourselves; I find I won't have
any use for it any more. Boys, you
tell them l want you to pay my
debts if you can; l don't want any
blemishes on my character after I
am gone. Oh, little did I think
that I would have been caught and
shot. IF I had, they never would
have kept me this long. / have
had several chances to get away
from them, but I thought they
would do justice, and consequently
stayed, and now see what they
are going to do with me. Oh, if I
had only known they were going to
shoot me l would have left them
several days ago.
OCTOBER 1S, 1852. - Good-by,
this morning, to you all; brothers,
sistors rejatives and friends