Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-26

commanding officer. We had a con
ference and told the colonel that my
men had nothing to shoot with, and it
would be folly to bring them to Ottum-
wa. agreed, however, to send run
ners out in the neighborhood to collect
all the arms that could be found, and
returned home. The next day the mu-
nitions of war began to come in. Some
brought old guns with no locks and
some with the ramrods missing. 1t was
motley collection and the whole out
fit would not have Offset the execu-
ton a modern rifle would do now. I
received news to the effect that Ottum-
wa parties had ridden over to Bloom
field and found that the expected raid
would not materialiZe, so / did not
bring the men and their broken down
accoutrements to join the forces that
were expected to assemble for the pur-
pose of defending the inhabitants
from murderous onslaught"
Ira Phillips.
'sThe actual leader of the raid was
Mart Green, and the fight between his
guerrillas and our men occurred at
Athens, Just across the river from
Croton. The battle did take place and
Green and MS men were driven back
across the border, so the fears of the
people of this county were not altogeth-
er unfounded."
The following is contributed by the
Courier's Kirlsville correspondent:
From Kirksvllie.
"Your correspondent had an interest
ing interview a day or SO ago with
James Stephenson, of this place, in re-
gard to the raid of Quantrell' into To-
wa. and the excitement it occasioned
i'll Ottumwa and vicinity. Mr.. Steph-
enson was member of the 'Kirkville
Home Guards, and was with the COM
pany on that memorable night when
they went to Ottumwa to help defend
the town. This company was com
posed OF about the full quota of 100
men, and was differed as follows: ].
NJ. Barnes, captain: j. I. Simpson.
first lieutenant; Robert Jones. second
lieutenant, and James Stephenson, or
derby sergeant. The latter still has the
muster roll and the receipt from the
state for the arms returned after the
company was mustered out. He says
that the statement made in the Cour-
Ter recently that the Kirkville COM
pany started out for Ottumwa armed
with clubs, guns and various other
things, is a mistake, as they were we'll
supplied with guns and cartridges by
the state, and fully equipped. He says
that the people of Ottumwa were very
glad to see the boys that morning and
We're well treated by the citizens, some
OF them having been taken to hotels
and others to private residences. Mr..
Stephenson was entertained at the
home of the father OF the late Judge
NJ. j. Williams. One of our old sol
7 diers here says that it could not have
, been Quantrell who was making his
way into Iowa, for he was among the
number who helped to dispose OF that
Guerilla some time before this. The
Kirkville company was not disbanded
until the spring of 1865. During the
existence of the organization the com
pany was ordered to Ottumwa and act
ed as a guard about the Jail and court
house the day that McComb was hung.
Mr.. Stephenson says he thinks the
crowd in Ottumwa that day was the
largest he ever saw in Ottumwa.
The old citizens who were in the
Kirkville company, now living in this
vicinity, are:. Samuel Mccullough,
James Stephenson, Edward tombstone,
John p. Thompson. J.. d. McGlasson
and w. S. Pelham. The occurrence yet
remains vivid picture in the minds OF
Correspondent.