The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-03-23
By WARREN G. BENTON.

In my native village in Kentucky the
people were about equally divided in
their sympathies between the Union as
it was" and the secession doctrine"
The recognized Ieaderof the latter was
a bright young physician, who has since
achieved fame in his profession. This
doctor enrolled a company and organ
lied it as an incipient army, and armed
them for purposes of home protection
against any invasion of Kentucky"
There was a young man in the town
whose sympathies were with the Union,
and he likewise enrolled company and
began to drill them. These men were
distinguished by their caps alone, as
neither had full uniforms. The seces-
sionists wore gray caps, with the letters
"H. p" upon them, signifying 'home
protection" The others wore blue caps,
with the regulation ~. s.. upon them.
These men had not learned to look upon
each other as enemies exactly, although
they were always on opposite sides in all
discussions, which were frequent and
spirited. There was but one man in the
town VINO could "play on" a drum, and
[ have often seen him stand at one cor
ner Of the court house square and beat
the drum while the two incipient armies
would keep step to the time Of the same
drum.
THE CONFEDERATE INVASION.
But the war spirit was in tie air, and
events soon assumed such shape as to
leave no doubt that a war was coming,
and that speedily. At this juncture Gen.
Buckner occupied Bowling Green "a
point at the junction where the Louis
vile and Nashville railroad crosses Bar
rem river with Confederate army. At
the same time Gen. Crittenden, in COM
mand Of the state militia, acting under
the instructions Of the legislature Of the
state, established headquarters at Cal
houn, eighty miles west, on Green river,
and he subsequently moved up to Roch-
ester, within fifty miles of Buckner's
camp. Federal forces likewise were
concentrated at Louisville, under Rous-
seau, and they established a garrison at
Muldraugh's Hill, a point near Eliza
BEETHOVEN, on the Louisville and Nash
vile railroad, which commanded two
very high wood spans Of trestle work or
bridges which were liable to be destroyed
and thus cripple the line of road, so
necessary for carrying men and supplies
to the front.
At this move of the "Lincolnites, as
they were called, the ''secesh" estab-
Hshed garrison to guard the Green river
bridge Of the same road at Mumfords-
vile.
1t was apparent that the possession of
this line Of railroad was to be the key to
the possession of the state. DR.. Pendle-
ton was in communication with Gen.
Buckner and his little army of recruits
was part of that command. The state
guard company was under the direction
of the Federal commander, Gen. Critten-
den. Thus Hartford was distinguished
as being headquarters for two hostile
armies, both drilling with one drum and
awaiting developments.
This state of affairs continued for a
few weeks when a crisis was reached,
and it looked as though the first battle
Of the war in Kentucky would be fought
there and then between these little ar
mics and whilom friends. One dav a
wagon train came into the town from the
direction of Greensboro on the Indiana
line And it had become known that
supplies were being run into the Con-
federate lines in this way. SO the COM
mander of the "Liucolnites" called out
his men TO stop the wagon for inspection,
whereupon the Gray Caps marched out
to prevent any Interference with the
wagons Here was an issue.
Excitement ran high and every man
in the town took sides Old rusty rifles,
fowling pieces. butcher knives, brick
bats and stones were called into requi-
5ition, and had a fight begun, a fierce
hand to hand struggle would have en-
sued. But the Gray Caps weakened and
the wagons were inspected and found
to be loaded with whisky in barrels,
which some far sighted Spectator was
running south for future emergencies.
A CONFEDERATE RETREAT.
Then the Gray Caps were disarmed and
told TO leave the town, which they did,
going direct to Bowling Green, where
they joined Buckner's army and began
their soldier life in earnest. To show
how little these men realized the situa-
ton and what was before them, after
the Grays had started in farm wagons
for Bow ling Green, one of three brothers
concluded that he would so back and
JON the Blues. lie was the younger of
the three, and the other two failing in
their efforts to dissuade him from carry
ing out his purpose, told him that they
would shoot INN down like a dog on the
first battlefield they met him. 1t so
happened that after a DAYS fighting at
Fort DonelSon this younger brother,
while engaged in carrying off the dead,
found his brother who had promised TO
shoot him lying in a ditch with mimic
bali in his hip. He cared Tor his brother
until he sufficiently recovered 10 be ex-
changed. and he returned TO the Confed-
crate command and remained in line I'm
til the close of the war.
The two never met again until the
struggle was over and they had returned
home. They continued the best of
friends until the Confederate finally died
from the effects of his wound, the ball
never having been extracted.
The work of enlisting men for the ar
mics went rapidly forward. All future
acquisitions to the Confederate side had
to be made in a quiet way, as open en-
istment was no longer allowed outside
Of Buckner's lines. There was a farmer
in tie community who was noted for his
iIteracy and suinEiness. He enlisted