New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-10


| Ouantrell on the scene had been established, That
the Union peoue Of the border experienced the
worst In 10 that time they had indeed been
| plundcYed and bullicd and abused but the euer-
| rillas not only robbed but killed. Hundreds Of
! peaceful homes were made dcsolatn ny midnight
! raids. in which the head OF the house Gnd per
! hapS his gIown-up sons were torn IRON the arms
! Of wives and mothers, marched INTO thc WOODS,
tied to trees and shot dead. Sometimes lhc VIC
Tins were tortured before being killed some
times outrage was offered helpless women. Some
| times homestcads were left in flames. All re-
sistance was punished with instant death.
| Many Tnionists desperately underworld u make
their way over~he border into Kansas. But they
| could rot travel with or protect their families.
| The men were Obliged to steal across the border
| nv themselves ARRANGEMENTS having been made
! for the women TO come after with such stock and
| household goods as could be transported. Few
of these expeditions succeeded. The men often
got safely into Kansas, but the women Obliged
70 travel slowly and openly were Tor the most
| part stopped and their goods ana cattle conis-
Gated II may easily be realized how dcadiy a
hatred was cngendcred by this kind of warfare
and no Doubt the Kansas and Missouri I'nionstS
did sometimes wrcall their vengeance when they
found themselves supported by the Federal armies.
Kansas colonel of Volunteers Jennison, figured.
which for magnanimty is, we thlnK' "l'io"' Z"
parallel on the other side:
The seccssionsts had, during the temporary
success of Price and McCulloch abused the Union
lists Of Jackson County OutrageOusN. pluhdcrh@'
beating and shooting them. Colonel Jenn'Son
arriving at Kansas City. the Union men OF In
dependence where the secession tyranny lad been
sprcally intolcrablc appealed to him for heip.
liz tool; his men. quietly surrounded lndcpcn-
dcncc drove all the seccSSonists into the punAc
SQUARE and held them there under guard WhA'
the Union men who had been robbed made scarcA
for and recovered their property. The secession
lists expected nothing less than 10 he shot; pu'
Jcnnison simply gave them q sharp Tebnke io'
their evil conduct and then released them
Curiously enough. when General Pope took 'he
departmental command, he. instead of protect
ing the Unonists, proposed 10 hold them cpualiF
responsible with the rebels for all brldge-hurn-
incs guerrilla outrageS. and other acts OF awlcSs-
ness LYON. and after him Curtis and Schoicld
and Blunt protected the loyal people. Fremont
did little for them. During the first two years
of the war they suffered dreadful hardShlpS. and
rs the tide of war wavcrcd and huctuated they
could measure its tendencies by the increase or
the temporary diminuton Of the persecution.
Sometimes the Federal commanders did foolish
things. as when General Senator Lane burned
Osccola destroying at once the property Of Union
ISIS and sccessionists OF course such an act Wa
made a handle by the rebels 10 justify the policy
which they called retaliation.
true and full narrative of this side OF Tie
border war would be exceedingly interesting,
though, no doubt very difficult TO write. The part
described by Nr. Britton is indeed only less
fascinating: and in one point II differs from me
history OF ordinary military operations radIc3HN.
There is mention of bat a few considerable en-
gagements Wilson Creek, Pea Ridge. Lone Jack,
Ncwtoria and Prairie Grove are the most I'M
portant battles Of these two years. But apart
from them there was an almost inccssant series
of minor encounters-ail0irs Of outpo,s, II
were. in which or two regiments al most were
cneagcd-whch were the occasions Of brilliant
fclts Of arms, personal combats, and the diSplar
If the finest qualities Of tact, daring and elan.
Tie descriptions Of these viii he read with deep
interest for they recall the times Of chvary, when
single combats were the regular orGcr Of tie
day and enemies met and fought in small parties
The Federal cavalry especially distinguished II
self in the Missouri campaign, and tie artillery
also won laurcs. For pluck and perseverance,
and not less for cool and keen strategy the battle
Of Pea Ridge is notable. General Curtis there
made a gallant stand against heavy odds, ana
pluckcl victory almost ont Of the Jaws Of defeat,
inficting a crushing blow upon Van Dorm, an!
at once delivering the southwestern part OF the
State from rebel domination. In tie attempts
subsequently made 70 cXtirpatc the gucrr..as thc
outcome was less fortunate. Once the Federal
troops seemed - have Quantrcll fairly in % trap,
but o, the critical moment one Of the two Fc cral
colonies in charge Of the expedition .ic-crrl o'.
| the road, failed TO come up in time - support
| the assault, and Q1antrcl though wounded cs
| capel The cncrrillas, Of course had tie odvan.
| tagc Of Knowing the country thoroughly. and they
were helped by d.sloyal settlers. who played tic
| sDy on their behalf and gave thea tiEc' s. warning
! Of every Union movement But the men actually
! in arms had n much better time than those who
were trying 10 follow peaceful occupations. In
! dams were employed on both sides, thoaeh they
| did not prove very useful. They would not ii2ht
| in the opcn, and the shells dciuorazcd them
| They made great deal of noise with their war.
| whoops and looked terrible in their war-paiut
but on tie field they scarcely counted, and thcif
| presence would perhaps not have been felt had
not some Of them scolped and mutilated the Fed
| era dead and wounded more than once.
| M Rrtton has done well 10 write this vol
| ume even if il might have been fuller and more
| picturesque, for The Civil War on the border
| certainly ought 10 he described in the detail Us
| importance and pcculiaTties deserve. IL was one
Of the crccst and most desperate of all The sirur
giles pertaining 10 the Rebellion; and perhaps, CON
sdcrng all things, it cntaiicd more mi,eN in
proportion TO the numbers concerned than did
| the fighting anywhere else.
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