The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-09-08
HEROES OF THE A

Jefferson City Tribune: The Platte City
has been publishing some in
teresting history OF the battle of Wilson's
creek, In this state. and has induced a
Of participants in that struggle
to add their personal experiences. This
is quite interesting for the reason that a
large per cent of the men who took part
In the battle were Missourians.
Gen. Parsons, at that time a citizen Of
City, commanded a confederate
brigade and DIR. K. e. Young, of this city,
was an aid on his etaff. Fred Buehrle of
this city WA on the federal side and was
severely wounded and carried off the bat
tlefield by ex-Sheriff Raker Of johnson
county, who was a confederate. They
nave met many times since and are the
best of friends.
Col. Hi Bledsoe, who Is now a member
of the state ms from the Cass county
district, laid the foundation OF his repu-
tation at this battle. c. p. Hyde, q cor
mark, says Of Col. Bledsoe ir this battle,
that he used q nine pc und brass u cap
tured in Mexico by Gen. Sterling Price,
and known as "Old San J~acinto," and not
"Old Sacramento" There seems to be a
difference Of opinion In regard to this can
non and, as Col. Bledsoe is yet living, he
can easily settle 1t.
skill in handling In converse
ton with q Tribune reporter, Col. Bled-
soc once said that he knew nothing about
engineering tactics. He said that from
his bOyhOod days he had always been
skillful In handling firearms, and that
for some reason he could not explain he
experienced NJ difficulty in handling
cannons successfully. Said he: 81 just
naturally seemed to know how to sight
q cannon, and that's all there is about it."
l never took instructions from anyone,
but just put in the shots where l thought
they would 10 the most good. When ar
tillery was opposed to me l let the enemy's
guns alone, but endeavored to make 1t
uncomfortable for the support. The great
difficulty with most gunners is that they
overshoOt, especially II h range is close.
At the battles of Carthage and Spring
field l manufactured my " ammuni-
ton. For shot l went to a blacksmith
shop and had a lot of iron bars cut into
slugs. They proved very effective In close
quarters"
Col. Ben l.. Guthrie, who now resides Ia
Macon county, this state, n participat.
cd, on the confederate side, in the battle
of Franklin, which cost Col. Elijah Gate,
an arm and Senator COckrell a most dan
gerOus wound, said once that he neye
saw such a murderous artillery fire a
Col. Bledsoe maintained with his batterie,
at that battle. In order to save the con
federates from annihilation, he opene,
fire with a part OF the confederate force
between him II the federal forces. Nat
urally the con fedora tss dropped to tn
ground, and Bledsoe was firing 40 Low
that many Of the confederates were com
PEELED to crawl up to his guns.
Secretary of State Lesueur commando
a battery in the confederate service an
participated In all the battles engaged il
by the Missouri troops. lie was a mos
, skillful officer aud possessed a goo
knowledge of engineering tactics. Ma
, w. II. Lusk, circuit clerk of this county
was n federal officer and "A brave and skill
full soldier. He took part in all the en-
/ gagements of Missouri troops, and Gel
John s. M~armaduke was turned over
his care when captured. They had know
D zach other before the war and were alwal
8 warm personal friends. Like Col. Blet
soc Maj. Lusk served in the Mexican wa