The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-07
He SAVED lBAVENwoRTH.
The PeriIous Adventure of Union
Scout in 1864.

The PerilouS Adventure OF Union
Scout in 1864.
The man who saved Fort Leavenworth
in 1864, recei ring physical injuries which
have incapacitated him for the support of
his family, is now sutton to the United
States Government. He desires reasonable
compensation for the privatlons, periIs and
injuries which he suffered in his country's
cause. He was not an enlisted man at the
time he performed this patriotic and ex-
traordinary service, having served three
years in the army and been honorably dis
charged. He was then acting as volun-
teer scout, and his services can only be re-
Quilted by the bill for his relief now pend
ingin Congress.
Ttwas in 1864, when Price, the rebelgen-
eral was threatening Fort Leavenworth
and all of Eastern Kansas. That State
and Missouri were both under martial law.
Governor Carney and General Deitzler, at
the head of the Kansas State militia, had
their forces in the field on the Missouri
border under General Curtis. General
Pleasanton, the Federal commander, was
near Indepe adence. Mo-, separated from
Curtis by Price and doing nothing. If
Carney could not communicate with
PIeasanton and get him to cooperate with
Curtis, Kansas was at Prices mercy.
At this iuncture the Governor sent for
D. w. Boutwell,, an .hoaorabiy discharged
Union SoiQler, VINO nad frequently done
scout duty and knew the country
thoroughly. A concise statement of the
situation, giving the position and strength
of Curtis command in detail, was written
out by Governor Carney and committed to
memory by Boutwell,, as it would not do
to trust such dangerous information to
paper. The rest of the story is best told in
Mr.. BoutwelI's own words:
81 went to Kansas City and took a skiff
about 6 o'clock in the evening. This was
the 22d day Of October, 1864. When l ar
rived at the mouth of the Little Blue my
skiff got behind a sand bar and l had to
abandon it and swim ashore. When l
wentup the bank of the river the pickets
of General Price shot at me, but it was so
dark that they could not follow me. |
went up the Blue until came to q narrow
place, where, by throwing in rails and
poles, effected passage, but in doing so
slipped from the rails and went into the
mud up 10 my waist.
being somewhat. acquainted with the
country, | avoided the roads and went
through the woods, and when daylight
came l could see right into the rear OF
Prices command. In a few moments I
had passed it, and soon arrived at the
crossing OF the Big Blue, where | found
General Pleasanton's command. He
questioned and cross-questioned me until
he was satisfied of the correctness of the
! statement.
While being questioned by General
Pleasanton, General McNeal was present
and said that he (meaning mel ought 10
be tried and executed for being shy
After dialogue between the two it Vas
decided in my favor, and in less time than
it takes to tell it PIeasanton's troops were
in motion and action, and the battle ragged
all day and nearly all night.
THAT night passed to the rear of Gen.
eral Prce's command, captured prisoner,
| arrived at Kansas City, and turned my
prisoner over to Colonel d. Brockway. who
was provost marshal at Kansas City,"
Mr.. Boutwell, suffered severely from hum
ger and exposure during his perilous adj
resolution of the Kansas Legislature, he
has received no official recognition of his
patriotic seryice.-New York Commercial
Advertiser.