The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-10-19
ICoPTRIGHr. 1941
CHAPTER xv.-CoSrrNUEn


An official report of Gen. Waterson,
the officer commanding the St Marys
expedition. has been preserved
Whether it was forwarded before his
return to Laran or was written subse-
quently is not known But it gives
very clear explanation of the novel
method adopted in this military cam
paign.
1t reads as follows:
The whole plan has worked, with Few
slight DISCREPANCIES as projected The FEAST
bflity OF getting the whole regiment into st.
Narv-s and the ueighborhoOd without attract
ing attention was easily proven Ny men be-
gan TO come in four days before they assembled
They were in fairly good shape and passed for
workrnen out Of employment ,and idlers drawn
in BY the excitement II was impossible 10 go
anywhere without seeing them minglinZ with
the worzusn and standing about on the corners
with he unemployed In three days seven hun
dred were in St Mary's and three hundred in and
about Paducah, with orders TO come in strag-
eliugly TO the former place on the fourth day.
At any other time thousand men suddenly
added to the population Of so small town
would have excited suspicion but the excite
uent OF the strike was supposed TO be drawing
the men from all quarters, and great credit
must be given to our forces who. as rule, kept
themselves close and avoided attracting atten-
ton On the night % the third day, three hun
bred were already IN the old house on the bar
rens or in the immediate vicinity undergoing
the most extraordinary discomfort on account
of the want OF accommodations, and an hour
before sunrise on the fourth day. 1 had the
whole command within reach and most Of them
uniformed and armed. We formed column at
five O'Clock in the barreEs Just three miles
southeast OF the town and marched in on the
railroad track; took possession OF the bank at
nine o'clock distributed money among regi-
meuts as planned without opposition. each man
carrying a hundred and fifty eagles. The buck
skin belts worked admirably. I deployed two
hundred men. Companies \ and F, ana kept
crowd one thousand feet from bank. withdraw
ing them in squads and replacing them with
other men who were loaded up with specie;
successfully avoided collision with sheriff
who was completely bewillered by events;
took camp Al six O clock p m on the terrace
as planned and the regiment began at once 10
melt away. -Four hundred men got out OF their
uniforms in the center CT the camp tvhere
they were securely shielded before nine
O'Clock The suits in the knapsacks turned
out better than expected and Commissary
fleming should be credited with great skill
and ingenuity in the provision OF these suits.
The uniforms were put into the knapsacks and
a. twelve midnight started the men in Indian
he 10 ElE gu house. anu d Dl tLAh TIME 1
four hundred more men ready. there were eight
hundred knapsacks and eight hundred guns TO
be disposed OF: by making each man carry two
guns aud two knapsacks, easily got the whole
eight hundred into the house. The intense
darkness OF the night was great advantage
and the hardness OF the ground and the special
guards stationed along the lines to prevent
struggling or the littering of the rout, aided Us
much
AT three o'clock in the morning the reei-
meut, as a uniformed organization. had disap-
peared
The disposition OF the men was as follows:
One hundred went scatteringly from the camp
back to town in their former clothes at ten
O'Clock; another hundred got OF at eleven
O'Clock. and a third at twelve o'clock. drew
them up by companies in a circle in the center
OF the camp aud started them out in radiatinz
lines. I calculated that in fifteen minutes If
the men walked brisEly, that there would be
distance OF five hundred feet between each
man. and, OF course, those going south and east
would have 10 make large detour to reach
the town. AT 1880 I was reduced to five
hundred men at least two hundred having
gone toward Paducah in the same struggling
manner. The remaining five companies were
started from the old house between 2.3)
and four O'Clock. going in widening lines
south southeast ana southwest through the
barrens aud about one hundred under orders
10 strike tEe raLrO14 TRACK AZ long l1IeFNa-.
aud return 20 town. 1 held detail OF twelve
trUsty men with ne TO complete the work
clearing up the fragments and arranging the
material in the house. The guns were flung
into the cellar and the knapsaczs heaped upon
the FIST floor and saturated by the two barrels
Uf kerosene that we're knocked IL the head OF
the floor above. At five O'Clock Capt. Einstein.
of-Coupaly D. who was left behind 10 complete
the destruction. touched a match 10 the build
ing and then retreated 20 the railroad track.
coming hack later with the few inhabitants
who were attracted at that hour by the flames
He met ne the next night at Snowdcn's hut
on the Mississippi whers l was waiting for
him. and reported that the destruction was COM
plete and that the guns had been enectuaIly COW
cred by the ashes and debris and would uot Re
discovered until an attempt was made 10 re-
move the rubbish.
My calculations with regard TO the direction
the search would take for the regiment we're
right as you viii see by the papers, and the
plan OF bring the scows over from the other
side OF the Ohio and cutting them loose above
Padrcah was a good one. The general belief
at once seized the authorities that the men
had crossed the river from Indiana
I am now convinced BY actual deuoustra-
ton that can with a thousand men carry out
the eastern scheme OF which you spoke. The
chances Of success are increased by the aUGac-
ity OF the attempt Whatever appears 10 re
<lcredioIe Will succeed before the community
Can bring itself 20 acknowledge it