New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-19
A MISSOURI MUNCHAUSEN.
40" SIIEI.BYs RECORD AS A POET
WARRIOR.
He FRANKLY ADMITS Ills OWN fHO"H"' iN
OFFICIAL. REPORTS WHICH ARE EN-
BELLIslIED WITH RHYTHM AND
RHYME. IL NOT WITH
(sy TELEGRAPH TO THE TEIBuSr

wos,ire,on Feb 1S-'Ir 10 Shelby's sword had
been as mighty his pen there WonIuh "'He
been a grease spot left Of the Federal forces III
Missouri after his raid In the ran OF lS'h SUI"
an ey-ConfcIeratc officer, in recent conversation
with a Tribune correspondent He continued: II
Won want 10 read some of the finest descriptive
writings ever publlshcG-wr'ngs that are s'eeped
in all the glories Of the widest ana most poe'ic
Imagination that was ever given 10 man-you shou!d
read 10 Shclby's official reports OF 1868 ana 1914.
Why. Baron Munchausen was tame max anu '''7P'"
compared with Shelby"
A perusal OF some Of these reports ought 70 con-
vince anybody that the ex-Confederate was not
guilty Of oxaggeration. According 10 Sh''py >
official report Of his raid into Missouri, ne won d
series of uninterrupted victories over tremendous
odds On occasion IL appears that one OF "'S
realmen:s which placed in ambush AT /"
ford was attacked by Genera. Brown WITH 1000
men" The Missouri Munchausen describes the
result in these graphic words:
"rhe bait took completely and the yeiHnS' Shou'-
ing Felerals dashed into the stream ana mp the
further side to within ten feet of the amDuShed
Confederatcs hot close. deadly fire from rifles
and revoivers left fifty dead on the spot. and the
rest routed and domoralized. Among those Killed
was a Federal colone,. supposed to be Coione
Thomas r. Critenden."
According to the official report OF Lieutenant
Colonel Iazear Of the Is. Missouri state Militia
Cavalry who was in command of the Union troops
regiment and the skirmish is described as follows
Here the enemy left a force OF some 2o) or 800
men to defend the ford. They were charged on py
Captain Little and his brave Company II, VINO
da she'd across the river. receiving most 'ef''pie
fire from the enemy. only a few yards distant
which resenbled the loud crashing of thunder more
than a report Of firearms. but they were routed ana
fed five or six Of their men being MORALLY or DadIy
wounded one OF whom was heutenant-co.ohei III
Hunters regiment (wounied IN the ARM ana one
prisoner COMPANY r. ,oss r,nr,ailv ' two severely
and slightly wounded one OF me iattvi. i-' ~
clothes one OF which was the centre OF the body.
but was turned off by a breastpiate .,
into poetry.'' Thus. in his account Of the ensaee-
ment at Cave Hill. Ark. he writes: ~ was a sP',n,
long lines came cleaning. ere yet the hiebloosi'
warm and wet, had dimmed glis;ening bay onct.
IN the same engagement ShelDys Drlsede sur
fered a terrible loss In the death OF me gaahi ana
heroic Martini ana the poetic M5sTnr f5 Tni his
home and iiresde with his back to the iield an. ana
his feet to the foe An b sodr to ypar are the
tenderesi, the loving are the darlns .o- an nor
Some OF the finest writing Sheb! ever ui1 l,ri
iiroy "a" Ark Listen to this: 90. -.
fore p the round. fui moon had died in the lap OF
dawn. long before the watching stars had grow,
bir champing frosted bits in the cod keen
air of December morning renuy siiu 49, in,r
march After advancing rapiI!y anu Minn.ra b,
mission for several hours. | struck ther uai No., No.,
with the passage of many feet, rscHhg W nrg r'
no break in serried ranks. no straggihs rom Ihe
line but each man grasped his gnn WIN me S hn
firm grasp and the strange VITA LOOKS u ne'o''
and born ,nvincbles.' -, .,.o ,oo, ov,oc,od
OF nothing else could nave oef nrp 1yn
cthles vent laundering down the road driving the
m tIds o. Heaven 40 indeed for shelby rays
so still the rout continues Lrampi ,,a ,p a'n na
The scouree is red the spur drops blood the hash-
ing pebbles fee. ., Gina, o,ruog,e came the dead
and wounded Federais lying stretched out in their
CORY beds thick autumnal leaves IN NanonnI Sn
'h SpH seain: Night had closed the march OF
back to ten Of what had been passing but few S
0for ra hsd H1T and the sentinel
stars kept their watch in the sky; when thousands
had san nS the To ' %on H@is to- ~
shel i, marched under Marmaduke In the advance
against Springfield. Mo. IN January. 1853. ana his
ION the last day Of December. 1862. when the old
wear was diving In the lap Of the new: and January
had sent its moaning winds 10 wall the requiem OF
further on he says: "The storm increases and
the combatants get closer and closer. heard the
cannons shvering crash as when the whrlwind
rends the ash. heard the rnuskets deadly c!ang'
Again: ''The contest RACES and the wild dealt, ,f,
dance goes Inerrty on. Still Collins plies his lurid
torch where balls will rend powder scorch still
Sharks and Gordon, side BY side. like veteran
The tide having been stemmed. might came down
with weary brooding wings lay her dark nr9%
fort and val and house and linen, men checking
that had been at war all day
before that. however. Lieutenant burlington had
fallen and Shelby laments his death:
ooh, Smooth the damp hair over his brow; II Is
pale and white and ghastly now; and hide the
wounds in his CORY breast. for his soul has fled to
30" Shelby has lived to be nominated for United
still pending in the Senate.