The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-08-13
BY an ex.Confederate.
GuIBoRY BATTERY,
FROM Warsaw, Mo-, to Greensboro N. C''
with Many q Hard Fight Between.

small amount Of ammunition were quietly
resting on June II, 1861, at the United
States Arsenal at Liberty Mo. Sixty young
men were at home, more or less quietly
earning a living. Capt Henry Guibor ana
Lieut.. w. P. Barlow were also at home IN
st. Louis, pretending to be quiet under the
modification of having been captured at
Camp Jackson.
The United States Marshal had warrants
for Guibor and Barlow, and the latter
slipped out of the city on the night OF June
II on horseback, bound westm ard. About
the same time mob Of country boys trav-
eed eastward with the guns and calssons
drawn by borrowed mules. The battery was
an elephant on their hands, and they knew
not what to do with it. but hoped to IND
someone to teach them
Bv that magnetic attraction which draws
mischief-makers together the Governor. the
guns. and the raw country boys met at War
saw. on the retreat from Boonville, June 20,
1861.
By n strange fate two spies had been ar
rested by the Captain commanding the use
less artillery wagons. The spies were recog-
n ,zed by the Governor as the two trained
artillerists he was anxiousy looking for,
and were at once placed IN command. In
this manner was organized on the march
over broad Missouri prairie, battery
which four years ialer was to be surrendered
| by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston at Greensboro
| n c., with the record OF ~ battles ana
over 100 skirmshes; 81 killed IN battle, %
wounded 1t is instructive to know what
can be done when necessity forces lnVen-
ton An inspection of tie outfit revealed
one sponge-statf, n small quantity OF hxed
| ammunition. a lot of loose slx-pounder shot,
| We wagon-loads of powder, teams OF nall
broken mules in pillow and wagon harness,
and nothing more. OF all the numerous
small equipments OF a light battery there was
: nothing An officer OF the Old school would
at once have thrown up his hands. But mere
was Il mob of rs enthusiastic, adventurous
men as ever were gathered IN the "orId.
Whatever the cause, home and property were
believed to be in danger No one u9ht
office they only wished to be told wat 10
do.
Cant Guibor was wise enough to seize the
opportunity, and at daylight next morning
was manufacturing a sponge staff from dry
fence-rail. Barl,w fol lowed suit and bis
tered his hands, and turned to drilling the
willing recruits. 1t was drill TN the march,
drill in tie morning before breaking camp,
and drill after reaching camp in the even
Ing In 10 days those amateur cannoneers
thought they had leaIned the art OF war, and
were confident. rGhiDor and Barlow knew
better, but kept their own counsel.
When the battery was 10 days old, July D,
! 1861, on the retreat southwark, near Car
thage Mo-, the news came that S1gei was IN
front Those green arillerIs,s were spollInS
| for fight, and did not know thai they were
cut off; in fact, did not know that they were
retreating. Exultngly the wild mules
swung the guns into battery. a lire was
klndled from spliniers of dry rails to ignite
the slow matches made of cotton rope soaked
in turpentiDe. The pieces were loaded and
primed from powder canlsters, and they
looked at Sigel's unif rmed infantry with
eight brass guns deploying some eOO yards
in front.
Under, landing The moral effect of attack
ing, rom his experience III campaigning
Guibor asked Gen Parsons's permission to
open fire. Barlow careful ly pointed the
right piece. a man ran up from the biaZ'
ing fire with his burning co ton rope. Bang
went The first gun, and the wAr was opened.
After winning the battle of Car hage, an
insignificant little skfrmlsh, but terrible
then. the ammunition was exhausted
w
arpener-shop in Carthage. A tin-shol
supplied the straps and canister dry
goods merchant donated bolt of red fan.
mel Tor cartridge-bags.
Fortunately, the next battle, Wilsons
Creek, was fought at such c,ose range thai
this homemade ammunition was az effect
i've as the best turned out of a United States
arsenal. This is the way IN which Gulbor's
battery was organized.
Another lesson of interest to the student
of revolutions is this: During the Summer
mpagn OF 1861 in Missouri not an Offices
or man was mustered into service. They
; marched three times across the State from
the Missouri River TO the Arkansas line, ant
fought Tour battles without thought of pay
or fear of court-martial. Everyone was FREE
to go home at will yet the writer can recall
but one resignation, n cannoneer accepting
a situation at the ST. Joe Lead Mines Il
make lead for the army. The discipline
was purely voluntary, but was as strict a
5 at any time therea. ter during the war. 1h'
men were never asked to do anything
: orders sometimes very peremptory wer
gwen and gladly obeyed. Many fell on
! from sickness or wounds, but FASTENED t
reion at The news of impending battle, ant
most of The survivors followed Capt. Guiho
10 TIC oull vi hcAiSoI anu hSaiiy ie"ShS'
' the Atlantic Coast.
The battery was reOrganlzed In the Con
$ federate service at Memphis, Tenn, in De
l cember, 1861, from the ST. Louis boys cap
!. tured at Camp Jackson and exchanged, ant
afterwards it was consolidated with tn
: original company rejoined Gen. Price a
y Springfield, Mo-, marched south into Arkan
sas, thence east to Corinth, Miss, and frOr
q that time its career is part OF the histOr
}, of The Army of the Tennessee down to tn
, last hour of the struggle. 1t was capture
:, at Vlckshurg aud sent 10 the paroled cam
:, at DemOpolis, Ala, as part OF Cockrelis Mis-
a souri, Brigade.
= At Demopolis, it being impossible to r.
> cruit, Lands and Wade's Batteries were cor
= soIida,ed with that of Guibor, the latter n
: tanning command. Then we went to Nj
: bile, Ala; then with Gen. Joseph E Johr
ston through the Georgia campaign to A
. lanta, and with Hoodto the bloody field ,
', Franklin.
e. We were with Forrest as part of the rea
|, guard in the terrible retreat back into AL.
~ bama, and those veteran soldiers mail
y tanned their organization and marched agar
h through Georgia to the Carolinas, where I'll
"a bitter end came. They were surrendered b
- Gen. Johns on to Gen. Sherman at Green
-, - boro, N. G., April 20, 1865, four years an
a many thousand miles from the retreat fro
~ BoOnvile in 1861.
:, After the reorganization at Demopolis,
=. there was surplus of officers, regular pr
: motion ceased. But an exception was mac