Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-26

of Michigan militia parade day, where
| in he pictured the gallent leaders plume
as reading its doleful history in the
bereaved necks and bosoms of forty
| neighboring hen roosts," and the war
horse that he bestrode as ''crop-eared,
bushy tailed mare. the singular obliquity
of whose hinder limbs Is best described
by the expressive phrase, 'sickle-hams.n
The march from Fort Scott was en-
tirely uneventful though no enemy ap-
peared and no hostile demonstration
was seriously to be apprehended, the
regular troops marched as though in an
enemy's country, and the improvised
militia followed more or less gracefully
Though these "reminiscences may seem
to treat thoses rustic warriors with scant
respect, subsequent events demonstrated
that, as among the ''embattled farm
ers" of the revolution, there was also
literally distributed among them the
spirit of which heroes are made. But
few months later many of them We're
marching under the flag" for the
defense of the Union, and not few
went down to death for their faith,
while the survivors are securely anch-
ored in the confidence and admiration of
their fellow citizens.
Mound city was as quiet as the grave.
No sign of hostility or outrage, past,
present or to come, was visible. 'Mont-
gomery's Fort" as rude log fortifca-
ton was called, was surrounded and
challenged by the troops, but as it was
tenantless the demonstration went no
farther. Jennison, too, had prudently
departed for fresh fields and pastures
new" and calm as of the Sabbath sat
sweetly upon the little village.
1t was, at this point that
the civilians left the miniature
army and returned to Leavenworth.
Gen. Harvey remained at Fort Scott for
some days and made such arrangements
with Gen. Frost, commanding the Mis-
souri, troops across the border, as pre-
vented the resumption, on any consider
able scale, of the lawlessness that had
discredited that section.
One circumstance connected with this
mission of Gen. Harvey may we'll be
mentioned, especially as it seems either
to have been unknown to his numerous
biographers or to have been deemed too
trivial for mention. The general not
only did not covet the duty, but was in
dignant that he should have been as
signed to it, When dispatches from Wash
ington reached him at Fort Scott. direct
ing that his force should be employed
only posse comitatus for the civil au-
thorities, he expressed his dissent in
vigorous terms. giving to his utterances
an emphasis scarcely to be found in the
catechism and Sunday school literature
OF the day. As he expressed it, it was
an indignity to send him, brigadier
general in the regular army, upon mis-
sion which should have been entrusted
to lieutenant.
One other circumstances connected
with these events remains to be noted:
The troubled condition of affairs along
the border had resulted in the ordering
of Capt. Nathaniel Lyon with his
command from Fort Riley, and he was
en- route from Mound City overland at
the time the advance upon that place
from Fort Scott was made. After a
short period of service in that vicinity !
he was ordered to st. Louis, and his sub |
sequent career, all too brief, constitutes |
one Of the noblest passages in the earlier |
annals of the rebellion. His lamented |
death at Wilson's Creek marked him as |
one of the first Of the conspicuous sacri-
fees of the war.
Patriotic Kansans will treasure his |
with peculiar sanctity because
he was closely associated with the forces |
Of the state in that fatal engagement, |
and fell bravely fighting at their head. !